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When Angela Merkel became German Chancellor in 2005, George W. Bush was US president, Jacques Chirac led France and Tony Blair was in Number Ten Downing Street. Much has changed since then, and it looks like the Merkel era is drawing to a close. After being dealt a second heavy electoral blow in as many weeks, Angela Merkel says she will step down as leader of her party, the centre-right Christian Democrats, at the end of the year. But she intends to remain as Germany's leader until 2021. Professor Mat Qvortrup has written a biography of Angela Merkel, and gave his reaction to her decision to quit.