German Chancellor Angela Merkel has dismissed doubts that resigning as head of the German Christian Democratic Party (CDU) would make her lame duck Prime Minister unable to effectively deal with world leaders such as U.S. President Trump or Turkish President Erdogan.
Merkel and Egyptian President Cecil, who attended the African summit in Berlin, told reporters that her decision not to participate in the next KDP election would give her more time to solve problems.
"I don't think there will be any change in the negotiating position in international negotiations - even as head of government, I have more time to focus on my task," she said.
Manfred Weber said Merkel's decision would allow her to adopt policies more in line with Europe's long-term considerations. Weber is a German candidate interested in running for the top candidate of the European People's Party (EPP) to replace Juncker, president of the European Commission.
Weber, a member of the Conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), told ZDF Radio that Merkel had been a strong voice in Europe and was now able to amplify her leadership role.
Many political experts believe that, in view of domestic political tensions, Merkel is unable to push ahead more quickly with the series of European reforms proposed by French President Mark Long.
"And she has the opportunity to lead things without having to make every decision popular," Weber says. "We must be courageous again, not just to watch the daily political show, but to have some foresight, because the continent will not be easy in the next few years or even decades."
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