MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to Spiegel magazine, Merkel postponed her announcement, that was expected to be made earlier this year, over disagreements with Horst Seehofer, head of the Christian Social Union party (CSU), CDU's Bavarian affiliate, who criticizes Merkel's open-door migrant policy.
The chancellor bid without Seehofer's support could "hurt Merkel politically," the media cited its sources.
The next German federal elections are expected to be held between August 27 and October 22, 2017. Merkel, first appointed as chancellor in November 2005, is currently serving her third term in office.
Earlier this month, the public broadcaster ZDF’s Politbarometer survey revealed that Merkel’s public support had dropped to 1.0 from 1.4 on the scale between +5 and —5 since late July, amid concerns about the implications of migrant policy and the high terror threat in the country.
