CDU to decide on Merkel's successor in April or May

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) will hold an extraordinary party congress either in April or May to elect a new leader, German broadcaster reported, citing party sources.

The CDU congress will take place either on April 25 or May 9 when delegates will be asked to vote for a new leader who will most likely leading in the next federal election due in October 2021, n-tv reported.

Merkel's initial heir apparent, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, resigned as party leader this month over a scandal involving apparent cooperation with the far right.

On Sunday, the CDU suffered its second-worst result ever in a regional election, coming third in Hamburg with just 11.5% of the vote.