German coalition shaken again as Stoiber pulls out

THE future of Germany’s left-right coalition was thrown into deeper confusion last night after a senior conservative quit the planned government following an internal crisis in the Social Democrats.

Edmund Stoiber, who was set to become Germany’s economy minister, announced that he would not participate in the incoming government.

Mr Stoiber, head of the Christian Social Union, told reporters that his party would nevertheless continue to support Angela Merkel’s proposed left-right coalition with the Social Democrats.

Mr Stoiber said the situation had changed, following the announcement yesterday by Merkel’s intended deputy chancellor, Franz Muentefering, that he would quit as leader of his Social Democratic Party and possibly not join the proposed cabinet as well.

“I will remain as governor of Bavaria,” Mr Stoiber said.

Mr Stoiber had described Mr Muentefering, with whom he has worked successfully in the past, as a “cornerstone” of the proposed government.

“I am fully committed to making a grand coalition possible. We will work to make a success of it,” Ms Merkel said last night.

“We will work towards this goal with optimism, with effort and with some joy at the prospect of giving the electorate that for which it voted.”

The crisis began, when Mr Muentefering announced he would relinquish that post after fellow party leaders nominated a young leftist as the party’s new general secretary - rejecting his candidate.

That move, along with fears of a future shift of direction in the party, unsettled his prospective partners.