German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not seek re-election as head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Merkel has led the CDU for 18 years and has been Chancellor for 13. She announced on October 29 that she would not stand for re-election at the CDU’s annual conference in December or seek a new mandate as Chancellor. The move is expected to trigger a succession battle and some are already speculating that the contest could result in Merkel's political career ending before her planned departure date of 2021.