Beck resigned. Franz "Locusts" Müntefering, freshly back from retirement, will again be party boss - the Old Guard is back in charge. All this came instead/before the announcement of Steinmeier's chancellorship candidate status: Beck was so miffed at something that he did not even turn up at the meeting at which it was supposed to be announced.
Beck said he resigns because there was an ongoing negative campaign against him in the party. I am guessing that (1) Münte's return was well prepared in advance by the Schröderite Old Boys' Network, (2) the last straw for Beck was the leak of Steinmeier's choice, (3) that choice may not have been as final as the leakers presented it (i.e. a fait accompli). *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Aufgrund gezielter Falschinformationen haben die Medien einen völlig anderen Ablauf meiner Entscheidung dargestellt. Das war und ist darauf angelegt, dem Vorsitzenden keinen Handlungs- und Entscheidungsspielraum zu belassen.
...and later he formulated:
Damit sei "ein zentrales Recht des Parteivorsitzenden", nämlich das Vorschlagsrecht, eingeschränkt worden, sagte Beck in der Pressekonferenz. Das habe er nicht hinnehmen können - "im Sinne des Selbstrespekts, den sich jeder Mensch schuldet".
