Spying row sees attack on Merkel

German conservatives warned their Social Democrat (SPD) partners not to score points in a row over the activities of the BND intelligence agency after an attack on Chancellor Angela Merkel by the SPD chief threatened unity in the coalition.

Sigmar Gabriel pushed Merkel into the spotlight on Monday over allegations that the BND had helped the US National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on European firms and officials.

Merkel’s conservatives and the SPD have had a harmonious 18 months of power-sharing, introducing several policies championed by the Social Democrats such as a minimum wage.