The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer looks on during a press conference on Feb 7, 2020 after a leadership meeting at the CDU headquarters in Berlin, about the political situation in the eastern German state of Thuringia. (ADAM BERRY / AFP)

BERLIN - Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), on Monday confirmed she would not run for chancellor in next year’s federal election but added that she would remain party chair until another candidate is found.

Kramp-Karrenbauer told a news conference that she would remain defense minister until the end of this legislative period, which is due to run until autumn 2021. She said she did not believe her decision would impact the stability of Merkel’s ruling coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD).

A Germen government spokesman said on Monday that Chancellor Angela Merkel supports Kramp-Karrenbauer's desire to remain as the country's defense minister. 

Earlier the day, Kramp-Karrenbauer told CDU leaders that she would give up the party chair as well as her ambitions of running for chancellor, as she believed one person should do both, a source within the party said. She would organise a process to fill both roles in the summer.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer added that she would remain party chair until another candidate is found

Kramp-Karrenbauer, 57, won a vote in December 2018 to succeed Merkel as CDU leader, but then struggled to stamp her authority on the party. Last week, a regional branch defied her by backing a local leader helped into office by the far right.

Last year, she told delegates at a party conference to back her vision for Germany, or else “let’s end it here and now”. The delegates duly backed her - but many remained unconvinced by her leadership.

Her inability to impose discipline on the party in the eastern state of Thuringia further damaged her credibility.

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Kramp-Karrenbauer’s erstwhile rivals for the party leadership - Friedrich Merz and Jens Spahn - have been circling with intent.

Businessman Merz has quit asset manager Blackrock (BLK.N) to focus more on politics and Spahn, now health minister, has cut a dynamic figure during the coronavirus crisis, jetting to Paris and London to coordinate the European and G7 response.