Merkel rival kicks off election bid

HANOVER - Agence France-Presse

Steinbrueck will face Chancellor Merkel in the elections. AFP photo

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s rival, Peer Steinbrueck, on Dec. 9 kicked off his bid to topple her in next year’s election, pledging social equality and a clear pro-European policy.

Steinbrueck told his Social Democratic Party (SPD) supporters in Hanover: “Freedom, justice, solidarity... with a commitment to these values, I am running to be chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.” Steinbrueck accused Merkel’s party, the conservative CDU, of having no election strategy apart from relying on her and said her political slogans were “stickers on empty bottles” with little substance behind them.