Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) chief Andrea Nahles announced her resignation on Sunday, saying she did not have the support she needed to lead it.
Nahles also said she will give up her position as head of the party’s parliamentary group.
The leadership upheaval comes as the Greens have overtaken Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives to become the most popular party in Germany, an opinion poll on Saturday showed, with the SPD support at an all-time low.
“The discussions within the parliamentary faction and feedback from within the party have shown me that I no longer have the necessary support to carry out my duties,” Nahles said in a statement released by the SPD on Sunday.
The politician said she would resign as head of the SPD on Monday and quit as leader of the party in parliament on Tuesday.
Nahles was due to face a vote on her leadership position on Tuesday after her decision to stay in coalition with Merkel’s conservatives was criticized by the party’s left.