Chancellor Angela Merkel continues to control political developments in Germany, explained George Pagoulatos, Director General of ELIAMEP, in an interview with radio station 9.84. It all depends on when Merkel chooses to resign, since no one can force her to step down. The question arising is whether Merkel will resign after the election of a new leader for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), so as to allow them to lead the party to elections, or whether she will remain the Chancellor, possibly inhibiting a successful election under the new leadership. The German presidency of the Council of the European Union will start in the second half of 2020, complicating the situation according to Pagoulatos, since the country cannot be undergoing a domestic crisis while heading the Council. Pagoulatos explained how the rapid developments within the CDU could impact both Europe and Greece, with the resignation of Annegret Kramp Karrenbauer signifying a new period of stagnancy and postponement of any vital decision making. As a result of this, one should not expect any major rulings from the EU until the political situation stabilizes in Germany and the 2022 presidential elections in France are held, concluded Pagoulatos.
You can find the interview (1.26.40) here.