Germany’s justice minister has decided to step down after coming under fire for allegedly making an indirect comparison between US President George W Bush and Adolf Hitler, it was reported today.

Germany’s tightly-fought election campaign drew to a rancorous close today under the shadow of mounting tensions with Washington over an oblique comparison between the US president and Adolf Hitler reportedly made by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s justice minister.

A top aide to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder today defended the justice minister who compared President George Bush to Adolf Hitler.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s justice minister was under fire today for comparing President George Bush’s methods to those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.