Ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) wants to publish her political memories in a book in the autumn of 2024, her publisher Kiepenheuer & Witsch announced on Thursday.

The memoirs, written together with Beate Baumann, her long-time political adviser, would give an exclusive, personal insight into Merkel’s political life and work, the publisher said.

Merkel wrote in the publisher’s statement: “I am pleased to be able to reflect on the central decisions and situations of my political work in my book, written together with Beate Baumann, and to make them understandable to a broad public, also concerning my personal history.”

Merkel, now 68, did not run for the federal elections last September after 16 years as chancellor. Her party, the CDU, lost to the Social Democrats, who now lead the European country with the liberal FDP party and the Greens.

READ ALSO: ANALYSIS: Are Germans questioning Merkel’s legacy?

Kiepenheuer & Witsch’s Kerstin Gleba explained that Merkel had led the country through dramatic crises and “shaped German and international politics and society in a unique way with her actions and attitude”.

Her memoirs offer “the historic opportunity to gain personal insight into the background and motives of Angela Merkel’s political work and to understand how her political decisions came about”.

Gleba announced: “There is no doubt that an important document of contemporary international history is being created here.”

‘Nothing to apologise for’

Merkel has recently been on the spot for her Russia legacy, defending her years-long policy of detente towards Moscow after the Ukraine war cast a pall on the legacy.

READ ALSO: Merkel says she has ‘nothing to apologise for’ over Russia legacy

In an interview in June, Merkel insisted she had not been naive in her dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Diplomacy isn’t wrong just because it hasn’t worked,” the 67-year-old said. “I don’t have to blame myself for not trying hard enough,” the conservative ex-chancellor said.

“I don’t see that I have to say ‘that was wrong’ and that’s why I have nothing to apologise for.”