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December 2, 2008 8:08:03 PM CST

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German Opposition Leader Quits

Posted Sep 8, 08 6:18 AM CDT in World 

(Newser) – The leader of Germany's Social Democrats has resigned after the party leaked that it had chosen another leader to face Angela Merkel in next year's general election, reports Der Spiegel. The party's candidate will be Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the current foreign minister in Merkel's grand coalition government. Kurt Beck, who has led the struggling SPD since her 2005 election victory, blamed "systematic misinformation" in the media for his decline in authority.

A senior party member told Der Spiegel that Beck, whose leadership was long in doubt, was resigning after a putsch inside the party. The SPD, which under Gerhard Schröder ruled Germany from 1998 to 2005, has seen its popularity plummet in recent years, and the creation of a new left-wing party has siphoned off votes. If an election were held today, Merkel would coast to victory.

Sources Der Spiegel, New York Times

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German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Barack Obama walk towards the Foreign Ministry in Berlin.   (AP Photo)
Frank-Walter Steinmeier says he will be the Social Democrats' candidate for chancellor in 2009.   (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Kurt Beck, chairman of the German Social Democratic Party, speaks during a news conference at the party's headquarter in Berlin, Germany, Monday, April 14, 2008.   (AP Photo)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, examines the experiment of a student at the Goetheschule High School in Ilmenau, Germany, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008.   (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
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Germany • Angela Merkel • Frank-Walter Steinmeier • Chancellor of Germany • SPD


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