FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Berlin, Germany, November 7, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German conservative running to replace Angela Merkel as leader of the Christian Democrat (CDU) party, said on Wednesday that Merkel would probably remain in office as chancellor as long as she had a majority in the lower house of parliament.

“She is the elected chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and as long as she has the majority in the Bundestag (lower house) for that, she will certainly remain that,” said Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who is CDU general-secretary.