The board of directors of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to nominate party leader Alice Weidel as its top candidate for the upcoming federal elections on Saturday.
By nominating Weidel as its top candidate, the AfD would put her forward to become the next chancellor if the party wins the election, which is expected to take place in February.
Weidel and her co-chair Tino Chrupalla plan to hold a news conference at 11:15 a.m. (1015 GMT) where they said the decision would be announced.
This is the first time in the AfD’s almost twelve-year history that a candidate for chancellor has been appointed.
Weidel herself explained the decision by claiming that her party has a claim to govern, citing the opinion polls.
The AfD currently scores between 18 and 19% nationally, putting it in second place. The conservative bloc currently leads the polls by 32 to 33%.
