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Schroeder 'to quit if party wants'

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said if his Social Democratic Party wants him to, he will step down. However, party leaders appear to be in no rush to ditch him.

After a meeting of party leaders Monday night, the head of Schroeder's Social Democrats, Franz Muentefering, told a news conference that the party's goal going into coalition talks is for Schroeder to remain chancellor.

Asked if he could imagine opposition leader Angela Merkel as chancellor of a grand coalition, he hesitated a few moments, then said: "We have made clear what our goal is."

Muentefering reiterated that "we are the strongest party" after the September 18 election, ahead of the Christian Democrats and Christian Social Union, though the two conservative parties insist on negotiating as a bloc.

Muentefering said the SPD wanted to begin formal coalition talks "this week or next week." Another "exploratory" round of talks between the SPD and conservatives is planned for Wednesday. Muentefering said that before those formal talks, there will be "no decision on personnel questions."

But Schroeder, in an interview with RTL television, said: "It no longer has to do with my claim, not even about my person anymore. It has to do with the political leadership demands of my party and about that, only the party leadership can decide.

"I will accept any decision. I will not stand in the way of the development of the progression of the reform process I led and of a stable government in Germany."

Schroeder's statement come a day after Merkel's conservatives gained a seat in parliament after a late round of parliamentary elections in Dresden on Sunday. (Full story)

The victory raised their lead to four seats over Schroeder's Social Democrats, according to Germany's federal election director.

The extra seat was seen as giving a boost to Merkel's quest to become Germany's first woman chancellor, and weakening Schroeder's bid to remain in office.

Final election results for all parliamentary vote give Merkel's Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union coalition 226 seats in the Bundestag. Schroeder's Social Democrats have 222 seats.

Merkel's camp is pushing for speedier reform to cut taxes, along with spending and labor protection to boost the economy and fight 11 percent unemployment.

Schroeder had insisted his Social Democrats are the largest party and should keep the chancellery, if Merkel's Christian Democrats and Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, are considered separate. Merkel has rejected that proposal.

The Dresden election came two weeks after the national election because of the death of a candidate in that district.

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