Berlin - Germany's opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is caught up in a leadership struggle that could weaken the party further and topple its leader, Ms Angela Merkel, writes Derek Scally.
The leaders of three federal states have told party leaders in Berlin to finally decide who will lead the party into next year's election and challenge Mr Gerhard Schr÷der, a decision that could return Ms Merkel to the back benches.
Until last week, the struggle was between Ms Merkel and Mr Edmund Stoiber, the popular leader of the Bavarian sister party, the CSU. But Mr Wolfgang SchΣuble, the former CDU leader, has reappeared on the scene after being cleared last week of involvement in the fundraising scandal that cost him his job.