German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Angela Merkel looks on during a press conference at the CDU headquarters on October 29, 2018 one day after the regional state elections in Hesse. - German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced she will not stand again as leader of her centre-right CDU, which she has chaired the CDU for 18 years, and step down as German chancellor when her mandate ends in 2021, making way for a successor following a series of regional vote defeats. (Photo by Markus HEINE / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARKUS HEINE/AFP/Getty Images)