The leader of Germany's main governing party, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, is standing down and will not put herself forward to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor, reports say.
Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer took over as head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in December 2018.
She was seen as the favourite to take over as German chancellor in 2021.
The CDU was recently criticised over a contested regional election result in the eastern state of Thuringia.
Last week, some of the CDU's local politicians in Thuringia voted with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to install liberal candidate Thomas Kemmerich as regional premier.
Mr Kemmerich later said he would resign and seek new elections in the state, "to remove the stain of the AfD's support for the office of the premiership".
For mainstream parties to collaborate with the AfD is considered a taboo, and no state premier has ever taken office before with the aid of the AfD.
