German SPD picks Steinmeier

Germany’s troubled Social Democratic party fired the starting shot in a year-long election race on the 7 September 2008 by ousting Kurt Beck, its hapless left-leaning chairman, and nominating the centrist Frank-Walter Steinmeier (current Germany Foreign Minister in the 'Grand Coalition') to run for Chancellor in September 2009. It also proposed Franz Müntefering, SPD stalwart and a former minister, as new party leader.

Commentators predicted that the Grand Coalition would find increasing difficulty in the year leading up to the election to agree on decisions.

BBC News, 7.9.08: German FM to run for chancellor http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7603235.stm

Spiegel Online International, 8.9.08: Steinmeier Urges SPD to Unite http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,577047,00.html

Deutsche Welle, 8.9.08: Frank-Walter Steinmeier Sets his Sights on Germany's Top Job http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3626482,00.html

ESO: Background information: Germany’s SPD tries to repair divisions http://www.europeansources.info/record/germanys-spd-tries-to-repair-divisions/

Wikipedia: German federal election, 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_federal_election,_2009

Deutsche Welle, 7.9.08: German SPD Names Chancellor Candidate as Chairman Resigns http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3624902,00.html

Spiegel Online International, 7.9.08: Kurt Beck Resigns as SPD Head http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,576845,00.html

Spiegel Online International, 9.9.08: Steinmeier Unlikely to Oust Merkel in 2009 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,577251,00.html

The Economist, 8597, 13.9.08: Germany's left. Enter the stone manager http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12209052

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