Merkel rides high as challenger Steinmeier slumps

Jul 29, 2009, 11:01 GMT

   Berlin - Two months before a German general election, Chancellor Angela Merkel continued to ride high Wednesday with her main opponent suffering a fresh drop in an opinion poll.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a Social Democrat, slumped from 20 to 17 per cent on a survey question, who would you elect chancellor if you could? In fact, voters can only elect the legislature, which then picks the chancellor.

In the weekly poll by the Forsa company, incumbent Merkel's rating on the same question rose from 58 to 60 per cent.

Vice-Chancellor Steinmeier's result was his worst since he was nominated 11 months ago as SPD standard-bearer.

His Social Democratic Party (SPD) was caught off foot this week when one its ministers, Ulla Schmidt, who has the health portfolio, confirmed that she had used an official car while on holiday in Spain.

The Forsa poll, commissioned by Stern magazine and RTL television, was carried out before Schmidt's holiday transport arrangements became news and opponents accused her of wasting taxpayers' money.

   Foreign Minister Steinmeier was set to seize attention on Thursday by announcing a competence team - the people he would draw on as ministers if he were to become chancellor. Germany votes on September 27.

   The polls showed support for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian ally at 38 per cent, up 2 points, while its likely coalition partner, the Free Democrat Party, would win 13 per cent, down 1 point.

Support for the SPD was steady at 23 per cent.

Another company's poll last week rated them at 37, 13 and 25 per cent respectively.