A star rises in the east
Matthias Platzeck has just become the new chairman of outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democratic Party. Leon Mangasarian looks at the career of the rising east German star. Matthias Platzeck, a rising east German political star and passionate environmentalist, won a stunning election victory on Tuesday, making him the new chairman of outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democratic Party.
An SPD congress in Karlsruhe gave Platzeck 512 votes with just two delegates voting against him and one abstaining, making him the new leader of the 140-year-old SPD - Germany's oldest political party. Platzeck takes the SPD helm following the surprise resignation two weeks ago of Franz Muentefering who quit after losing a battle to install a key aide. His election means both of Germany's two main parties are now led by people who grew up in former communist East Germany.
Angela Merkel, who like Platzeck grew up in Brandenburg state, is due to be elected chancellor of a grand coalition in parliament on November 22 by her Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Platzeck's SPD.Both Merkel and Platzeck get on well which could be crucial in making her government a success.
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