Röttgen made the comments to CNN on Tuesday night when a reporter mentioned that Merkel had yet to commit to running for another term as chancellor.

"She will run for chancellor," Röttgen answered, adding that Merkel "is absolutely determined, ready and willing to contribute to strengthen the international liberal order."

CNN's Fred Pleitgen had asked the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician and close Merkel ally whether the Chancellor wanted to maintain the "liberal order in the trans-Atlantic area."

In response, Röttgen said Merkel is "a cornerstone of this political concept of the West acting as a global player."

However, Röttgen cautioned that for the West to succeed as a global player, "it would be impossible to rely only on one person." He added that the cooperation and participation of the United States is also required.

Both the CDU and the German government said they could neither confirm nor deny Röttgen's comments.

Merkel, who has held the post for 11 years, has yet to announce whether she will run again, saying she will unveil her decision "at the appropriate time."

Her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, wrote on Twitter: "Nothing has changed. The chancellor will comment at the appropriate time on the question of whether she will run for another term."

Reaction to Trump

DW's political correspondent Rupert Wiederwald said it was not clear whether or not Röttgen was acting on Merkel's behalf or if he had other motives.

He added that the decision to announce Merkel's candidacy now "clearly" is a reaction to US president-elect Donald Trump's surprising win against Hillary Clinton in the presidential election last week.

Following Trump's electoral win, Merkel congratulated the Republican politician but said she would cooperate with the new US leader based on the values of "democracy, freedom, the respect for the law, and the dignity of human beings, independent of their origin, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political position."

Merkel has faced criticism at home over her refugee policies which saw nearly 900,000 asylum-seekers enter Germany in 2015.

In Germany, the chancellor is not directly elected by a public vote, but through a majority vote in the Bundestag.

Typically, the leader of the party which receives the most votes in the national election is elected chancellor.

Germany's next general election will take place in 2017.

The many faces of Angela Merkel The 'Merkel diamond' Merkel has become known for using the same hand gesture at public appearances and in front of the camera, putting her fingertips together to form what some call the Merkel-rhombus – or in German, the "Merkel-Raute." If she has done so consciously or as a routine gesture out of habit is a question that have contemporary critics and journalists puzzled. Just what is she trying to say with it?

The many faces of Angela Merkel A European politician The German chancellor is known for her commanding and engaged appearance, often appearing quite somber, especially in Europe. Though she has been known to crack a smile at the right time, here, at the recent European leaders summit in Bratislava, she was more composed. To her left is Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke and to her right, the Prime Minster of Belgium, Charles Michel.

The many faces of Angela Merkel Selfie with the chancellor Merkel has come into the spotlight for her response to last year's influx of refugees.. Questions about her response to the crisis can be answered when elements of her personal life are considered, as Rinke does in his book. She frequently visits schools and refugee shelters and while doing so, takes time out for selfies, as here in 2015 with Syrian asylum applicant Anas Modamani in Berlin.

The many faces of Angela Merkel A juggler in the coalition As chancellor and head of the CDU party, Merkel faces a bit of difficulty in remaining considerate with some of her working partners. She does not respond with the huffiness her SPD party colleague Sigmar Gabriel is known for. Against attacks by the head of CSU Bavaria, the "archetypical Bavarian man," Horst Seehofer, she responds with cool objectivity.

The many faces of Angela Merkel Curious about the digital age For trained physicist Angela Merkel, the world of the internet and digital media is said to be relatively foreign, although her team does now have an Instagram account, which is fed by her official photographer. Still, that didn't stop her from grabbing the ear of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at a lunch meeting at the UN in 2015.

The many faces of Angela Merkel The preacher's daughter The daughter of a Protestant minister, Merkel's values are said by Rinke to have been shaped by her Christian upbringing. In 2016, she was given a private audience with Pope Francis I at the Vatican, where the two exchanged words on their favorite books.

The many faces of Angela Merkel A toast to friendly political relations Merkel is not known to let it all hang out and, though rare due to her full schedule, celebrations are done in style. In 2013, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Élysee agreement between Germany and France, Merkel invited the entire parliament to toast the two countries' friendly relations over champagne.

The many faces of Angela Merkel A private chancellor The chancellor gets only a few free vacation moments each year and even when on holiday, as here in Poland, she is not free from the prying eyes of the public. Her husband, Joachim Sauer, also pictured here, is rarely in the spotlight. Author: Heike Mund / ct



rs/se (dpa, Reuters)