BERLIN, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Faced with dismal polls and internal divisions, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has relinquished leadership of the Social Democratic Party.
Regional party head Franz Muentefering will take over the national leadership in anticipation of more than a dozen regional elections planned for this year, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.
Schroeder and Muentefering both insisted the change of leadership does not indicate a loss of commitment to the reform agenda Schroeder has pushed as chancellor.
Schroeder said in a Friday news conference that Germany is in dire need of renewal, and he is dedicated to bringing it about. He added that he will again be his party's candidate for chancellor in the 2006 elections.
Schroeder said, however, that "mediation difficulties" concerning his reform proposals dogged his party.
"I have not always had the necessary time for mediation work," he said.
Muentefering said he had not expected the post, but sounded more than willing to accept it.
"Besides being pope, being head of the SPD is the finest office," he said.
