Schulz chosen to challenge Merkel
MARTIN Schulz yesterday officially became Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief challenger in Germany’s September general election, leading the leftwing challenge to unseat arguably the world’s most powerful woman.
The bearded Social Democrat, already credited with giving his ailing party a strong shot in the arm, was unanimously elected SPD leader and standard bearer at a one-day congress in Berlin.
German media had predicted he could garner more than 90% of the vote from the country’s oldest political party.
In a speech to the SPD rank and file, the 61-year-old attempted to harness this momentum against Merkel, whose conservatives just a few months ago had an apparently invincible lead in the polls.
“Starting now the fight begins to become the top party in the country and take over the chancellory,” Schulz told the party congress. His decision to leave the European Parliament, which he headed for five years, and be a candidate to lead Germany has given the Social Democrats a new lease of life since party leader Sigmar Gabriel asked him to take the reins in January.
“It’s been encouraging to see in the last few weeks that people are hopeful again that the Social Democrats have a shot,” Schulz told Berlin public radio RBB.
“My intention to pursue policies that make the lives of hard-working people a little better is apparently finding a lot of support.”
Opinion surveys have recorded a 10-point jump for the SPD and some polls put it ahead of the conservative bloc of Merkel, who is seeking a fourth term.
The congress has fired the starting gun for the national election campaign and the race for three state polls, the first of which will be held in Saarland, on the French border, on March 26.
Schulz won a nod of support from EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, who has had a somewhat tense relationship with Merkel.
“Both Martin Schulz and Angela Merkel have the qualities to be chancellor,” he said, – AFP