Merkel to attend CDU convention after years of absence

Former CDU chairwoman and ex-chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she will attend the first day of the CDU party conference next week as a guest of honor. Her announcement caused a stir, as Merkel has distanced herself from her own party since voluntarily stepping down as chancellor in December 2021.

The former chancellor has long been said to have distanced herself from the CDU. She joined the party in and made her career there. In November 1998, she became secretary-general of the CDU and in April 2000, she finally became federal chairwoman of the CDU.

From 2005 to 2021, she was the first woman to hold the office of federal chancellor.

She resigned as CDU chairwoman in 2018 as a result of several internal party crises. After leaving office, she also declined the honorary chairmanship of the CDU and has not participated in any party events since then.

Her current agreement to participate has sparked much speculation about her motives. Merkel last attended the CDU federal convention in Leipzig in 2019. At the time, she repeatedly stated that the reason for her non-participation in party conventions was that, after leaving active politics, she generally does not participate in current events.

Speculation about whether this understanding has changed was rejected by Merkel's office, noting that the exception proves the rule.

(red)