Martin Schulz, 61-year-old former head of the European Parliament, was elected the new leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) Sunday March 19,2017, becoming Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief rival in Germany's September 24,2017 general election.
The bearded Social Democrat, already credited with giving his ailing party a shot in the arm was unanimously elected SPD leader and standard bearer at a one-day congress in Berlin.
"We want the SPD to become the country's first political force via the parliamentary elections, to make this country a better and fairer country so that the people of this country can get the respect they deserve. And, dear members, I want to become Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Thank you very much," Martin schultz told a gathering of SPD rank and file in Berlin Sunday.
The veteran German politician attempted to harness this momentum against Angela Merkel whose conservatives just a few months ago had an apparently invincible lead in the polls.
"Starting now the fight begins to become the top party in the country and take over the chancellory," Schulz told the party congress.
Schulz's decision to leave the European Parliament, which he headed for five years, and become a candidate for German leader has given the Social Democrats a new lease of life since ex-party chief Sigmar Gabriel asked him to take the reins in January.
No comments:
Post a Comment