Schroeder quits as party leader

[Michael Z]

It was bound to happen, given that the party never quite warmed to Schroeder; even though party chairman is more of an honorary title which won't necessarily dent his position as chancellor. At least in the short run.

That said, Schroeder's position is becoming increasingly untenable and I do expect Wolfgang Clement to be the Social Democratic candidate for Chancellor at the next election (which, regardless of that, the conservative CDU under Angela Merkel looks set to win).

[Michael Z]

As per 14 polls... there are state polls in Hamburg on 29th Feb, European Elections and state polls in Thuringia on 13th June, state polls in the Saarland on September fifth and in Brandenburg and Sachsen on 19th September. All the others would have to be local elections I reckon, which are not very important.

We may well see a change in Saxony. Apparently Milbradt himself secretly expects a SPD-PDS coalition to beat the CDU. The Hamburg elections should be interesting, especially now that the whole Schill soap opera is finally over and done with.

Btw, about Clement: I always thought he was a bit of a Chancellor-in-the-making? Or at least that's how the media seem to portay him.

[Michael Z]

Also, the General Secretary of the SPD Olaf Scholz has also been sacked (yeah, asked to resign). He will be replaced by Klaus Uwe Benneter. Benneter once was a far leftie, in fact he was expelled from the SPD in 1977 and readmitted in 1983.

Aren't most members of the SPD/Green coalition ex-far lefties? Fischer, Schily, Trittin, Thierse...

[Michael Z]

While we´re at... asked about the possibility of coalitions between the CDU and the Greens on state level Michael Glos, leader of the CSU regional group within the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, said today that he opposes coalitions with "eco-stalinists" and "former terrorists" like Fischer or Trittin (what the hell is an "eco-stalinist"?).

LOL, that's overreacting just a little. Didn't Kohl try similar (if not equally extreme) slurs against Schily and the Green Party in the 1998 election? I suppose it goes to show that negative campaigning doesn't always pay off.

[Michael Z]

As I said, Street Fighting Man...
It's not as if more policemen got kicked by lefties than the other way round...

Well, I wasn't implying that either...

We know you weren't, but a lot of conservatives are.