Germany's government and chancellor are "elected for a full term" and should take that responsibility seriously, CDU party chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told the conservative Die Welt newspaper.
Kramp-Karrenbauer, formally the premier of the small German state of Saarland, took over as CDU leader after Merkel announced she was stepping down from the job last year. Merkel is set to serve as chancellor of Germany until the end of her term in 2021, and she has signaled she would like to see Kramp-Karrenbauer take over that job.
Addressing the speculation that Merkel might leave earlier than planned, Kramp-Karrenbauer said she was not working to push the chancellor out.
"When it comes to me, I can rule out that I am scheming for a change," the CDU head told the Welt.
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