The 22.12. is also a historic date this year: on this fourth Advent Angela Merkel (CDU) has been in office for as long as Konrad Adenauer (CDU) once did. The first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany ruled from September 15, 1949 to October 15, 1963. Merkel has been Chancellor since November 22, 2005 - and has held office for 5143 days this Sunday.
So far only Helmut Kohl (CDU) has held the post longer: The "Chancellor of Unity" between 1 October 1982 and 26 October 1998 had exactly 5869 days as head of government. Kohl is likely to remain a record holder for the foreseeable future: To catch up with him, Merkel would have to rule another 726 days, i.e. until December 17, 2021.
Merkel had clearly said a year ago in autumn: "This fourth term is my last as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the 2021 federal election, I will not run for the Union as Chancellor candidate and I will no longer run for the German Bundestag."
The next federal election - should the grand coalition last so long - must take place on October 24, 2021 at the latest. Merkel could only break Kohl's record if she had to remain in office for a long time after this election - perhaps because coalition negotiations drag on for a long time.