Schroeder On The Way Out / Schröder auf dem Weg zum Ausgang

(Deutsche Version: siehe unten)

"Schroeder to step aside as leader of Germany's Social Democrats"  - please, dear Mr. Chancellor: one more step...

(I know, most of you will notice it anyway, but for the visually challenged: check Schroeder's feet!)

Schroeder was elected Chairman of the SPD just last November. He can still be Chancellor, but of course this is a major political desaster for him, the coalition Government and the SPD. Traditionally in Germany a Chancellor should be Chairman of his party. His political position is weakened if he's not.

Coincidence or not - Schroeder never recovered from his election win in 2002, which had been secured by his opposition to the US' Iraq policy.

BTW: You might be interested in this discussion thread on German-American relations...

Deutsche Version / German version

Schröder gibt Parteivorsitz auf. Bitte, lieber Bundeskanzler: noch einen Rücktritt... (s. Foto)

Schröder war erst letzten November zum SPD-Parteivorsitzenden gewählt worden. Er kann natürlich weiter Kanzler bleiben, aber dieser Rücktritt ist ein wesentliches politisches Desaster für ihn, die Regierungskoalition und die SPD. Traditionell sollte in Deutschland ein Kanzler zugleich Vorsitzender seiner Partei sein. Seine politische Position wird geschwächt, wenn er es nicht ist.

Zufall oder nicht - Schröder erholte sich niemals mehr von seinem Wahlsieg 2002, den er sich durch seine Opposition zur amerikanischen Irak-Politik sicherte.

Comments

In that picture above, do you notice that Chancellor Schroeder is standing on a box? A bit sensitive about his height, is he?

[John]

Oh, so that's what they mean by Shroeder "stepping down". I thought he was resigning from his position as party leader. ;)

[MrBlair]

Tja, bleibt nur zu hoffen dass der Spuk bald ganz zu Ende ist...

[Karl B.]

This means a step to the left for the SPD and may be a setback for the desperately-needed reform process. If this is the end of the reform process, then it's time to start packing my bags.

I don't think that the Greens will bail out the way the FDP did under Schmidt. We're stuck with Rot-Grün 'til 2006.

(Tonight Schröder and comrades should ask themselves: "why didn't we cooperate with the CDU when we were in the opposition to implement needed reforms instead of systematically blocking everything.")

[Vic]

Poor Herr Schroeder:

Politically, he's immobilized. If he moves either to the left or to the right, he loses stature :)

-Vic

[David Ross]

Nonsense on stilts.