The European Union is about to lose one of its last anti-populist voices. This video is presented by CuriosityStream: https://www.curiositystream.com/Vox Help us make our channel more ambitious by joining the Vox Video Lab. Becoming a member brings you closer to our work and gets you exclusive perks, like livestream Q&As with your favorite Vox creators. Learn more at http://bit.ly/video-lab Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been called the most powerful woman in the world, the liberal West's last defender, and the de facto leader of Europe. But 19 years after entering politics, she has announced she won't be running for a fifth term as chancellor and will be stepping away from politics. Her announcement comes at a pivotal time when nationalism is on the rise in Europe and the continent is still reeling from the 2015 migrant crisis. So what does Merkel stepping down mean for the future of Germany — and for the European Union? Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com/. Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H