German Papers Political Crisis in Germany
Müntefering was weakened on Monday after the SDP leadership council backed the party's left-wing candidate Andrea Nahles for secretary general against his wishes. His resignation has set off a chain reaction that some German commentators say could threaten Angela Merkel's chancellorship before it even starts. Müntefering has left open whether he will still join the so-called grand coalition between the SPD and Merkel's Christian Democrats as vice chancellor and labor minister. However, the conservative premier of Bavaria Edmund Stoiber has now decided not to join Merkel's cabinet as a result of Müntefering's decision.
The unexpected turmoil has split the SPD into two camps: moderates are blaming the party's left wing for torpedoing Müntefering's authority while the leftists claim they had no intention of toppling their leader. While the Social Democrats try to sort through the chaos, some conservatives have already begun discussing the possibility of going back to the ballot box for fresh elections early next year.
"The grand coalition isn't even in office and it's already plunged into crisis. How deep and whether it might even be fatal will become apparent in the next few days," writes the right-wing daily Die Welt. SPD members have suddenly realized that joining a government with the Christian Democrats forces them to decide which way the party is heading: "It is the choice between moderate modernizers and traditional leftist utopia. It's between the social democratic middle ground of Gerhard Schröder and a potential parliamentary majority far to the left of it." The paper writes that Müntefering was cleverly able to hide this tough decision on election day. But by picking Andrea Nahles as the party's next secretary general the SPD leadership destroyed Müntefering's hope of resolving that conflict.
The business daily Handelsblatt comments on how far -reaching the consequences of Münteferings departure could be. "Whoever thinks this is just an internal SPD problem is wrong," opines the newspaper, adding that the latest developments were sure to spell trouble for CDU leader Angela Merkel. "The self-destruction of the Social Democrats shows just how precarious her position is. The grand coalition hasn't even cleared the most difficult hurdles. And with each policy and personnel decision, the headwind is growing. Andrea Nahles has shown how quickly personal ambition can turn into political dynamite."
The headline of Berlin's left-wing newspaper Die Tageszeitung reads: "Secretary comes as the Boss leaves -- Days of Chaos in the SPD." The paper has little understanding for Müntefering's decision to jump ship, blaming him for adopting Schröder's unbeloved authoritarian style. "Why did he throw everything away? This act betrays a similar irrationality to Schröder's early elections idea that brought about the end of his (governing) coalition." The TAZ believes having Nahles as secretary general would have been good for the party and her election was no reason for Müntefering to resign. Without him, the Social Democrats will be hard pressed to find a leader that can guide the party during the difficult times of a grand coalition. "He embodied social democratic values like no other: reliable and down-to-earth. Who will convey painful policies of cutbacks to the SPD now? The SPD doesn't seem to understand itself at the moment."
The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes that Nahles' victory is a Pyrrhic one. "Nahles now brings a burden with her to the party conference which could crush her. She recommended herself as a figure of integration, but she has now been branded as a divisive figure," the newpaper comments, adding that a full-blown struggle for power had broken out among the Social Democrats. "The SPD has become the victim of its own intrigues. For Germany it is a medium-sized disaster. The timetable for forming a new government, perhaps even the coalition itself is now wobbling."
Germany's tabloid daily Bild calls into question the country's entire political class. "Are You Politicians all Crazy?" reads the headline. "Münte gives up, Stoiber doesn't want to, is the grand coalition before the end? No one is thinking about our country!" The paper points out in classic Bild fashion that now three of the four people involved in the coalition negotiations will have nothing to do with the government if it is formed. A photo of Gerhard Schröder, Angela Merkel, Franz Müntefering and Edmund Stoiber carries the caption: "Berlin 5:10 pm, Here our powerless politicians go into the round of talks." Each one is labelled accordingly. Schröder is chalked up as "voted out" and Müntefering has been "toppled" while Stoiber "doesn't want to" and Merkel is simply "helpless." The paper believes Müntefering's resignation will mean "chaos" since he was the only one holding everything together. "The public is becoming restless," writes the paper. "They expect a stable government from their politicians."
