GERMANY: Germany's Social Democrat leader, Matthias Platzeck, has resigned due to ill health after just five months in the job, leaving shocked colleagues concerned that the party has yet to find its feet in Berlin's grand coalition government.
His successor, Kurt Beck, the 57-year-old state premier in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the party's fourth leader in two years, has promised to halt the SPD's sinking popularity and bring the party out of the shadow of the Christian Democrats (CDU).
"I overestimated my physical capabilities," said a visibly crestfallen Mr Platzeck yesterday. He confessed that in recent months he had suffered a nervous breakdown as well as two bouts of hearing loss, the latest putting him in hospital two weeks ago.
"I've had to take a decision that was certainly the most difficult in my life to date - giving up the leadership of the SPD upon urgent medical advice." Mr Platzeck (52) is a mathematician from the same "1989 generation" of politicians as Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Dr Merkel said yesterday she noted Mr Platzeck's decision with "respect but also regret", but added that the grand coalition government's "dependability and continuity" remained unchanged.
Mr Platzeck joined the Green Party after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and switched to the SPD in 1995. He served as environment minister in the Brandenburg state government before becoming state premier in 2002, a position he will retain after returning from a holiday.
He was a breath of fresh air as SPD chairman Gerhard Schröder's autocratic approach during his four-year reign raised the hackles of party rank and file.
Mr Platzeck's more modest, harmonious approach was welcome at first, but party members were beginning to worry that it was contributing to the SPD's low profile in the grand coalition.
Like Mr Platzeck, Mr Beck will continue to serve as a state premier rather than joining the Berlin government and one of his most delicate tasks will be his relationship with Franz Müntefering, Mr Platzeck's predecessor as SPD leader. He resigned following an internal party intrigue after just 20 months in office but, as labour minister and vice-chancellor, is the senior SPD figure in the cabinet.
Officials in Willy-Brandt-Haus, the SPD headquarters, were still in shock yesterday evening. SPD parliamentary leader Peter Struck said Mr Platzeck's departure would "leave the party disrupted" and predicted "difficult times ahead".
Andrea Nahles, a leading left-winger, said "everyone was in tears" when Mr Platzeck made his surprise announcement at the party executive meeting.
The meeting had been called to discuss Mr Platzeck's 15-page proposal to reform the SPD party programme which, after at least two failed attempts, has remained unchanged since 1989.
In yesterday's Spiegel magazine, he called for the party to move away from the "old-style social state" and towards one that is the "partner and not the administrator of people".
Mr Beck has vowed to continue the dialogue for a new party programme discussion but could face difficulties uniting the party's fractious right- and left-wings, as well as the younger, pragmatic "networker" wing of the party. Last year they welcomed Mr Platzeck as a new generation of leader with fresh ideas, but their praise for Mr Beck was more qualified.
Spokesman Christian Lange was unenthusiastic about the idea of Mr Beck running as the SPD's chancellor hopeful at the next election. "I see Kurt Beck as the ideal party chairman in the current situation. About everything else we will decide later."