Germany's Social Democrats meet Sunday amidst a deep leadership crisis. But the party has agreed to announce Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as its candidate for chancellor next year, say media reports. Senior leaders in the Social Democratic Pary (SPD) have decided that Steinmeier will run against incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel in next year's federal elections, according to reports on Saturday, Sept. 6, by the Berliner Zeitung and Spiegel Online. The two Web sites reported, without citing sources, that Steinmeier's candidacy would be announced at Sunday's party conference. Though the Social Democrats appear to have reached one important decision in selecting Steinmeier, their meeting comes at a time of deep internal divisions.
Senior leaders in the Social Democratic Pary (SPD) have decided that Steinmeier will run against incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel in next year's federal elections, according to reports on Saturday, Sept. 6, by the Berliner Zeitung and Spiegel Online.
The two Web sites reported, without citing sources, that Steinmeier's candidacy would be announced at Sunday's party conference.
Though the Social Democrats appear to have reached one important decision in selecting Steinmeier, their meeting comes at a time of deep internal divisions.
Germany's Social Democrats nominated Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to challenge Angela Merkel for the chancellorship next year. The news coincided with party chairman Kurt Beck's unexpected resignation. Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) reshuffled its leadership a year ahead of federal elections, during a meeting of top party leaders near Berlin Sunday, Sept 7. The party nominated Steinmeier to face incumbent Merkel in September 2009 and summoned back as chairman veteran Franz Muentefering. Making the announcement in Werder, south-west of Berlin, Steinmeier said Kurt Beck, the long-serving premier of Rhineland-Palatinate, who has led the party since 2006, had resigned as chairman.
Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) reshuffled its leadership a year ahead of federal elections, during a meeting of top party leaders near Berlin Sunday, Sept 7.
The party nominated Steinmeier to face incumbent Merkel in September 2009 and summoned back as chairman veteran Franz Muentefering.
Making the announcement in Werder, south-west of Berlin, Steinmeier said Kurt Beck, the long-serving premier of Rhineland-Palatinate, who has led the party since 2006, had resigned as chairman.
BERLIN: Germany's Social Democrats were thrown into turmoil Sunday after their embattled leader, Kurt Beck, announced that he would step down as party chairman and after Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the popular foreign minister, was chosen to challenge Chancellor Angela Merkel in parliamentary elections next year. The decision on Steinmeier's candidacy, to be confirmed during a special party meeting here Monday, was made after hours of intense and often chaotic negotiations in Werder, a lakeside village outside Berlin, and sets in motion the election campaign in Europe's largest economy. "The Social Democratic Party leadership today unanimously decided to nominate Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the Social Democrats' candidate for chancellor," said the party's general secretary, Hubertus Heil, adding that Franz Müntefering, who led the party in 2004-05, would replace Beck as chairman. Müntefering, 68, also held the posts of labor minister and vice chancellor under Merkel. He resigned in November 2007 to care for his dying wife and returned to political life late last month.
BERLIN: Germany's Social Democrats were thrown into turmoil Sunday after their embattled leader, Kurt Beck, announced that he would step down as party chairman and after Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the popular foreign minister, was chosen to challenge Chancellor Angela Merkel in parliamentary elections next year.
The decision on Steinmeier's candidacy, to be confirmed during a special party meeting here Monday, was made after hours of intense and often chaotic negotiations in Werder, a lakeside village outside Berlin, and sets in motion the election campaign in Europe's largest economy.
"The Social Democratic Party leadership today unanimously decided to nominate Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the Social Democrats' candidate for chancellor," said the party's general secretary, Hubertus Heil, adding that Franz Müntefering, who led the party in 2004-05, would replace Beck as chairman.
Müntefering, 68, also held the posts of labor minister and vice chancellor under Merkel. He resigned in November 2007 to care for his dying wife and returned to political life late last month.
One day after Germany's Social Democrats leaked the news that Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier would be the party's candidate for chancellor, SPD leader Kurt Beck resigned in frustration. Party bigwig Franz Müntefering may take over. For much of the last year, Germany's Social Democratic Party has been stumbling from crisis to crisis with plummeting membership and abysmal popularity. On Sunday, party leader Kurt Beck finally took the last move available to him: He stepped down. [...] On Sunday, though, Beck expressed dissatisfaction with the way the decision had been made public. In a brief written statement, Beck said that he had asked Steinmeier to become the SPD's chancellor candidate two weeks ago and that the two had agreed to announce the decision at the Werder SPD meeting on Sunday.
One day after Germany's Social Democrats leaked the news that Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier would be the party's candidate for chancellor, SPD leader Kurt Beck resigned in frustration. Party bigwig Franz Müntefering may take over.
For much of the last year, Germany's Social Democratic Party has been stumbling from crisis to crisis with plummeting membership and abysmal popularity. On Sunday, party leader Kurt Beck finally took the last move available to him: He stepped down. [...]
On Sunday, though, Beck expressed dissatisfaction with the way the decision had been made public. In a brief written statement, Beck said that he had asked Steinmeier to become the SPD's chancellor candidate two weeks ago and that the two had agreed to announce the decision at the Werder SPD meeting on Sunday.
