German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to run for afourth term in 2017, dpa cited Der Spiegel magazine as reporting Saturday.

It said in an unsourced report that Merkel had held a meeting withtop aides and members of her Christian Democratic Union party to discuss an election campaign strategy.

The report added that Merkel planned to officially announce her decision in early 2016.

Merkel won a third term in 2013 and formed a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats.