Merkel respects von der Leyen's decision to resign as defence minister

Reuters

15 July 2019 at 11:55 am

The traditional Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she respected Ursula von der Leyen's announcement she would resign as German defence minister regardless of the outcome of a Tuesday vote in the European Parliament to decide on her appointment as European Commission head.

Von der Leyen was nominated for that job by EU leaders earlier this month.

"I'd like to say that I respect this decision and it makes clear that Ursula von der Leyen has decided on a new stage of her life," Merkel said after von der Leyen tweeted that she would resign as defence minister.

Merkel added that everything else remained to be seen - referring both to the knife-edge vote in the European Parliament and who would succeed von der Leyen as defence minister.

(Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Michael Nienaber)

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