Merkel will step down as chancellor in 2021: source

Angela Merkel will step down as German chancellor when her mandate ends in 2021, a party source said Monday, following a series of political crises and regional vote debacles rocking her fragile coalition.

She told party top brass her mandate running to 2021 will be "her last term", a party source told AFP, adding that she has no plans to seek a post in the European Commission following that despite speculation to that effect in Brussels.