German Chancellor Merkel to give up party leadership

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to step down as the leader of her party, raising questions about her future as head of the country, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Merkel said at a press conference on Monday that she will serve out the remainder of her term as chancellor, which ends in 2021. After stepping down as head of the federal government, she said, she will not seek another political office. 

BREAKING: Angela Merkel confirms she won’t seek re-election as leader of Germany’s CDU.

She’ll also quit politics after stepping down as chancellor in 2021 https://t.co/xjDF5gNBIv pic.twitter.com/77mNhxwMbN

— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) October 29, 2018

Bloomberg reported that Merkel informed a leadership meeting of her Christian Democratic Union that she won’t run again to lead the party in December.{mosads}

Merkel, 64, has led the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and was first elected chancellor in 2005.

However, her power in the German government has teetered in recent years amid her handling of the country’s migration policies, leading to speculation about whether she would remain on as chancellor.

CNN reported that both the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party, which Merkel oversees, suffered losses during regional elections over the weekend.

The Christian Democratic Union will elect a new party leader at its upcoming December convention. 

Merkel was scheduled to speak to reporters at 1 p.m. local time in Berlin on Monday.

Updated at 8:42 a.m.