Merkel rival bids to reinvigorate campaign

GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel's challenger for power in next year's German election will seek to re-energise his campaign Sunday after a cash-for-speeches affair that threatened to torpedo his chances.

Delegates from the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) will officially hand Peer Steinbrueck, 65, a former finance minister, the unenviable task of toppling the popular Merkel, often called the world's most powerful woman.

Three months ago, party leaders nominated Steinbrueck as their candidate to challenge the conservative Merkel in elections expected on September 22 but his campaign has since misfired amid wave after wave of bad press.

But the opinion polls show the scale of the task facing Steinbrueck, finance minister under Merkel between 2005 and 2009.

AFP