Schulz remains with empty hands

The outgoing Social Democrat Party chairman (SPD) Martin Schulz due to increasing pressure from his ranks gave up the anticipated foreign minister's post in the new coalition government with conservative (CDU/CSU). He said he gave up participation in the new government cabinet, and at the same time hopes that disputes within the SPD will end. This also has to do with the fact that his personal ambitions should stay behind party interests, according to him. From the discussion about his person, he sees the party's base vote on the coalition endangered, said Schulz's published statement. Earlier, some media reported the withdrawal of the SPD leader.

The newspaper “Bild” said that the SPD's leadership had been granted the ultimatum Schulz by Friday afternoon to withdraw from the foreign minister's planned post. The background of his withdrawal concerns dissatisfaction at the SPD base, mainly at the party's largest branch in the North Renania Ladda quite Westphalia. Schulz had initially declared that she would not enter a cabinet under Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Mass rejection of Schulz

According to a survey, most Germans reject Martin Schulz at the Foreign Ministry. Three of the four questioned (72 percent) claimed this as a false step, as results in the Forss complaint mandated by the channel RTL, which was released Friday (09.02). 26 per cent considered it right. Even 60 per cent of SPD members did not want to see Schulz in a government under Angela Merkel. /dw/