Franz Müntefering, 69, the chairman of Germany's center-left Social Democrats, talks to SPIEGEL about Germany's upcoming national elections on Sept. 27, government bailouts for industry and his relationship with a 29-year-old party colleague. SPIEGEL: Mr. Müntefering, you are considered perhaps the greatest living campaign strategist in Germany. People say you have magical powers. Are you proud of your reputation? Franz Müntefering: Campaigning has always been enjoyable for me, at least. Take (the German election years of) 1998, 2002, 2005 -- those were some pretty strong campaigns we put together. We'll be doing the same thing this year.
Franz Müntefering, 69, the chairman of Germany's center-left Social Democrats, talks to SPIEGEL about Germany's upcoming national elections on Sept. 27, government bailouts for industry and his relationship with a 29-year-old party colleague.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Müntefering, you are considered perhaps the greatest living campaign strategist in Germany. People say you have magical powers. Are you proud of your reputation?
Franz Müntefering: Campaigning has always been enjoyable for me, at least. Take (the German election years of) 1998, 2002, 2005 -- those were some pretty strong campaigns we put together. We'll be doing the same thing this year.
SPIEGEL: The conservative German newspaper Die Welt recently wrote the following about you: "The chairman is paralyzed. It is abundantly clear that Müntefering, whose instincts were once almost always on the mark, doesn't know what to do anymore." Müntefering: Other papers have written other things. Is Die Welt the only publication you read? ..... "Just imagine a government coalition of the Christian Democrats and the business-friendly Free Democratic Party where the FDP gets the Health Ministry. People would start losing their hair."
Müntefering: Other papers have written other things. Is Die Welt the only publication you read? .....
"Just imagine a government coalition of the Christian Democrats and the business-friendly Free Democratic Party where the FDP gets the Health Ministry. People would start losing their hair."
