 In 2019 media speculation persists that Merkel's successor as party leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, may take over Merkel's position as chancellor sooner than planned if the governing coalition proves unsustainable.The possibility is neither confirmed nor denied by the party.In February 2020, Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that she would resign as party leader of the CDU in the summer, after party members in Thuringia defied her by voting with Alternative for Germany to support a FDP-candidate for minister-president.