EZA 857 Report:

15 August 2008



German politics: Frank-Walter Steinmeier – the chancellor candidate to be


Since May it had become increasingly obvious that foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is to become the SPD candidate for chancellorship in the 2009 elections.
His roots as a protégée of former chancellor Schröder put him in the reform camp of the party. But his main challenge will be to appeal to the left wing of his party and left-leaning voters.
This dilemma is likely to curb the recovery of the SPD after his nomination, making a revamp of the grand coalition with a stronger CDU/CSU weight the most likely scenario post elections.


Asset conclusions: slightly positive, Steinmeier nomination implies SPD acknowledgement of need for centre ground policies


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