 By 2019 this had again changed, with now 67% of Germans wanting Merkel to stay till the end of her term in 2021 and only 29% wanting her to step down earlier.Merkel has been widely described as the "de facto" leader of the European Union throughout her tenure as Chancellor.Merkel has twice been named the world's second most powerful person following Vladimir Putin by "Forbes" magazine, the highest ranking ever achieved by a woman.