MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has announced that the 62-year-old will give a press conference at 7:00 p.m. (18:00GMT), according to the public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR24).
The announcement is expected to be made at the party conference, due on November 20-21, where the CDU leadership will meet to prepare the December 6-7 convention. Next month’s gathering is widely seen as the deadline for the party's nomination.
Merkel said previously she tied her function as the German chancellor to her position at the helm of the CDU. In fall 2017, Germans will vote in a new parliament, Bundestag, which will determine the next chancellor.
Pressed on Thursday on whether she would run for nomination, Angela Merkel told reporters in Berlin she would do this "at the appropriate time and this is not today." She has served three consecutive terms in office since her appointment on November 22, 2005.