Chancellor demands backing for reform plan

CHANCELLOR Gerhard Schroeder made an apparent threat to resign yesterday, warning party malcontents to get behind reforms aimed at reviving the stalled German economy or see his government paralysed.

His move was aimed at bringing to heel left-wing rebels in his Social Democratic (SPD) party who say his Agenda 2010 package of measures will hurt the weakest members of society.

Twelve SPD deputies have signed a petition opposing the package, which includes cuts to jobless benefits and measures to free up the labour market, and called for an unprecedented ballot of the SPD’s 700,000 members on it.