Germany's Social Democrats have named Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as their candidate to run against Chancellor Angela Merkel in next year's federal election.
In a surprise move it was also announced that Franz Muentefering, a 68-year-old former SPD leader will take over as chairman of the party after Kurt Beck announced his resignation from the role. The SPD lags far behind the conservative CDU/CSU partnership in the polls and hopes to revive it's fortunes. Steinmeier said in his acceptance of his nomination that he believed Muentefering could unite the party and fight a successful election campaign with him.
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