German opposition leader vows to win back power September 15, 2012 - 20:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Germany's former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier appealed to the emotions of his center-left opposition party on Saturday, Sept 15, with an attack on Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition and a vow to win back power in next year's election, according to Reuters. Steinmeier, one of three Social Democrat (SPD) leaders jostling to lead the party into the 2013 election, delivered an uncharacteristically rousing speech to 700 SPD officials at a conference, in what sounded like an audition for the top job. "We're going to fight to win, not for second place," Steinmeier said, dismissing suspicions the SPD would be content as junior partner in another grand coalition with Merkel's conservatives. "We want to lead in a coalition with the Greens, a coalition that will point Germany towards the future." The SPD will pick a candidate in January to run against Merkel in the election due in September 2013. Steinmeier leads the pack, ahead of SPD Chairman Sigmar Gabriel and ex-Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck. "The country is in agony with this coalition," he told the SPD's "Zukunftskongress", or conference on the future. "Wherever you look they're fighting each other. This coalition has been together for three years but they still haven't formed a working government. They're blowing the headstart for Germany we created for them."   Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot".   Partner news |  Latest news Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday  Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1.Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri.Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament.Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |
