Schroeder gains further on nervous conservatives

BERLIN: German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder gained further ground on challenger Angela Merkel in a poll on Saturday and conservatives feared they could again squander a big poll lead to lose another general election. With just days left before the genereal election on Sept 18, a new survey on Saturday by the Emnid institute for Focus magazine showed the Christian Democrats (CDU) falling another 1.5 points to 40.5 percent in the last week while Schroeder’s Social Democrats (SPD) leapt 3.5 points more to 34 percent. The SPD has gained 8 points in the last month while the CDU lost 3 points. The CDU led by as many as 23 points in late June. The CDU and their likely coalition partners, the Free Democrats, have now slipped about two points below a majority they would need to take power. Merkel said she did not believe her party would suffer another traumatic last-minute defeat to Schroeder in the election despite newspaper reports of spreading nervousness in the party over his sharp gains. “I reject the word ‘trauma’ in regards to this campaign,” Merkel said when asked about the fears Schroeder could again come from behind. In 2002, his 12-point rally in the last six weeks to win by 6,000 votes was the narrowest post-war margin. reuters

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