Berlin - Christian Democrat (CDU) Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged continued cooperation with the Social Democrats (SPD) in her grand coalition government Monday, after the SPD named Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to challenge her in German elections next year. Merkel criticized the weekend manoeuvring in her junior coalition partner that saw the popular Steinmeier named as the SPD candidate for the chancellorship and Kurt Beck ousted as party chairman.

The machinations within the SPD were "unworthy" of a broad-church German party and indicated "deep division," Merkel said, following the unexpected shake-up in the SPD hierarchy on Sunday.

Government spokesman Thomas Steg said Merkel and Steinmeier, who also holds the office of deputy chancellor, aimed to focus on the business in hand "until far into next year."

It's  we haven't seen the end of the SPD's troubles, yet. The 'reformers' seem to have decided that the battle for control over the SPD is more important than actually winning elections. At some point, the CDU might decide it is not able to govern with the SPD anymore.

The thing that keeps the two parties together is the left party, which would win big if elections come up soon, shifting the balance of the Bundestag further left. Because the reformers in the SPD don't want to govern with them, they will be forced into another grand coalition (where in all probability they will clearly be the minor party -- unlike the parity they now have).