Politics watchers in Berlin describe this as a "Goetterinnendaemmerung", the twilight of the goddesses. After a second painful state election result for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided against running for CDU leadership again in December.

While that's not the same as giving up her government post quite yet, it's the official signal that the Merkel era is ending and the succession race is open not just in the party but for the chancellorship, too. Any successor is going to be sailing in stormy waters.