German politicians are positioning themselves after their chancellor announced that she will run again in next autumn’s election. Mrs Merkel’s own Christian Democrats are relieved: she’s more popular than they are. But their Bavarian “sister party”, the CSU, is less pleased. It will probably support Mrs Merkel, say two senior members, but “not with euphoria”. The Social Democrats, who want to win the chancellery, have yet to decide on their candidate. It could be the party’s boss, Sigmar Gabriel, or the European Parliament president, Martin Schulz. But he might prefer to stay in Brussels rather than move to Berlin and lose. The most enthusiastic rival is Frauke Petry, leader of the populist, right-wing Alternative for Germany. She is thrilled to face the woman who caused “the migrant chaos”, and Martin Schulz, who represents the failure of Europe. Together, she gloats, they embody Germany’s decline. Voters do not, so far, agree.