 Complete the following phrase:  She decided not to suggest any person as her successor as leader of the CDU. However, political observers had long considered Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as Merkels protégé groomed for succession. This view was confirmed when Kramp-Karrenbauer  widely seen as the chancellors favourite for the post  was voted to succeed Merkel as leader of the CDU in December 2018. Kramp-Karrenbauers elevation to Defence Minister after Ursula von der Leyens departure to become president of the European Commission also boosted her standing as Merkels most likely candidate for succession. In 2019, media outlets speculated that Kramp-Karrenbauer may take over Merkels position as Chancellor sooner than planned if the current governing coalition proved unsustainable. The possibility was 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 an FDP candidate for minister-president. Kramp-Karrenbauer was succeeded by Armin Laschet at the 