Leader of the German Christian Democratic Union Armin Laschet offered to stand down from his position at the CDU, paving a way for a successor after the party came in second in last month's national election, Reuters reports.
As Laschet explained to conservative lawmakers, the party needs a fresh start after the election defeat, a process that he wanted to help moderate, the sources told Reuters.
The politician said he would be seeking a special congress of the CDU to determine the "future and reorganisation" of the party leadership.
According to the Bild newspaper, the extraordinary CDU congress might be held in early December in Dresden.