(HAMBURG, Germany) — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party is meeting Friday to elect a new leader who could help shape Germany’s political direction for the next generation. A close ally of Merkel’s and a one-time rival are considered favorites for the job to lead the center-right Christian Democratic Union. Merkel announced in October she would give up the reins in her party, though she has said she plans to remain chancellor until the end of the current term in 2021.