BERLIN (AP) - Germany's Social Democrats have chosen deputy leader and Hamburg mayor Olaf Scholz as the new interim head of the party until a permanent chairman can be elected in April.

The move follows leader Martin Schulz's announcement Tuesday that he was stepping down from the position with hopes of putting an end to turmoil at the top of the center-left party.

The party leadership also nominated parliamentary caucus leader Andrea Nahles as its candidate for Schulz's permanent replacement, to stand in a vote at a special party congress on April 22. Scholz is also supporting Nahles.

The Social Democrats' leadership issue has been a major distraction ahead of a party vote to approve a new coalition government agreement with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc. </s> Germany's centre-left Social Democratic Party nominated Martin Schulz as its chairman and party candidate to take on Angela Merkel in the country's forthcoming federal elections.

Accepting the party's nomination on Sunday (19 March), Schulz vowed to fight populism if his party wins the elections in September.

A former president of the European Parliament, Schulz was nominated with 100% of the votes, the first time the party has unanimously nominated a candidate.

The party has been a junior partner in the country's coalition government since 2013. It hopes that Schulz will boost its chances of winning a majority.

Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party currently leads in polls, but Schulz's popularity compares favourably with Merkel, who has announced her intention to stand for a fourth term.

Accepting the nomination at the party's conference in Berlin, Schulz criticised US President Donald Trump and pledged to defend the European Union.

"Those who want to do away with this bloc will find in me an energetic opponent," Schulz said. "Anyone who thinks you can separate national interests from Europe is wasting away the future of Germany."

Schulz replaces Sigmar Gabriel as party chairman, who had trailed Merkel in head-to-head polls. </s> Germany’s centre-left Social Democratic Party is holding a special convention to confirm Martin Schulz as the party’s top candidate to challenge Chancellor Angela Merkel in the country’s forthcoming general election.

Party leaders unexpectedly nominated Schulz after long-time chairman Sigmar Gabriel stepped aside in January. The party has since experienced a surge in the polls not seen in a decade.

Analysts say Schulz, 61, benefits from being a relative newcomer to domestic politics. Until his nomination, he was president of the European Parliament.

The Social Democrats’ general secretary, Katarina Barley, told reporters ahead of the convention on Sunday that the party has seen 13,000 new members join this year.

Merkel, whose centre-right Christian union bloc is in a coalition with the Social Democrats, is running for a fourth term on September 24. </s> BERLIN (Sputnik) — Former European Parliament President Martin Schulz was approved at a special conference of Germany's Social Democratic Party on Sunday as party chief and chancellor nominee.

A total of 605 delegates out of 608 voted in favor of Schulz, with three ballots recognized as not valid.

The snap party conference is taking place in Berlin and has gathered about 3,000 guests and 500 journalists. </s> Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) on Sunday formally endorsed former European Parliament President Martin Schulz as their leader and challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in what is set to be a tightly contested national election in September.

The SPD has undergone a revival since nominating Schulz in late January, gaining around 10 points in opinion polls and signing up thousands of new members as the 61-year-old focuses his campaign on social justice.

"The SPD is back! We're back!" Schulz told around 600 delegates at a party meeting in Berlin shortly before he was chosen as SPD leader in a vote in which all 605 of the valid votes gave him a 'yes'. Delegates signalled with their hands they also wanted him to run for the SPD in the Sept. 24 election. </s> Germany’s Social Democratic Party has unanimously elected Martin Schulz as the party’s top candidate to challenge Chancellor Angela Merkel in the country’s forthcoming general election.

Party leaders had unexpectedly nominated Schulz in January after long-time chairman Sigmar Gabriel stepped aside.

Since then, the Social Democrats have enjoyed a surge in the polls that has been attributed to the “Schulz effect”.

In a speech to delegates at a special convention in Berlin, Schulz evoked the party’s 154-year history of campaigning for workers’ rights and called for greater investment in education and health care.

He blamed the growing gap between average voters and the ultra-rich for souring politics and for boosting the popularity of nationalist and populist politicians.

The 61-year-old, who was until recently the president of the European Parliament, said his party would work to strengthen international co-operation, including with the United States, but rejected what he called the “misogynistic, anti-democratic and racist” rhetoric of President Donald Trump.

Schulz, the only nominee for the post of party chairman, received 100% of the delegates’ votes, an unprecedented result in its post-war history.

An opinion poll published Sunday by the weekly Bild am Sonntag put support for the Social Democrats at 32%, one point behind Merkel’s Union bloc.

Analysts say Schulz benefits from being a relative newcomer to domestic politics compared with Merkel, who is running for a fourth term on September 24.

The Social Democrats’ general secretary, Katarina Barley, told reporters the party has seen 13,000 new members join this year.

The first real test of the “Schulz effect” comes next Sunday, when voters in the small western state of Saarland go to the polls to elect a new government.

Schulz and Merkel’s parties are currently in a coalition government in the state, as they are at the national level. </s> Martin Schulz has quit as chairman of Germany's Social Democrats with immediate effect, saying it is time for a "renewal" of the centre-left party.

The move came after he on Friday abandoned his plan to become the country's foreign minister in a new coalition government with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, following pressure from within the party.

He told reporters the party's leadership had unanimously nominated his choice for a successor, parliamentary caucus leader Andrea Nahles.

She will have to be approved by a party congress on April 22, he said.

The turmoil at the top of the Social Democrats has been a major distraction as its leaders have been lobbying for the party to approve the new coalition agreement with Mrs Merkel's conservative bloc.

It is being put to a ballot of the Social Democrats' 460,000 members.

If members reject the coalition, Mrs Merkel's only realistic options would be to form a minority government or seek fresh elections.

Mr Schulz said the coalition agreement was "70%" Social Democratic policy and urged party members to bring "the personnel debate to an end" with his resignation and concentrate on passing the deal.

"This is a good agreement," he said.

The party chose deputy leader and Hamburg mayor Olaf Scholz as the new interim head until a permanent chairman is elected in April.

Mr Scholz will support Ms Nahles at the party congress. </s> BERLIN - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) on Sunday formally endorsed former European Parliament President Martin Schulz as their leader and challenger to Chancellor Angela Merkel in what is set to be a tightly contested national election in September.

The SPD has undergone a revival since nominating Schulz in late January, gaining around 10 points in opinion polls and signing up thousands of new members as the 61-year-old focuses his campaign on social justice.

"The SPD is back! We're back!" Schulz told around 600 delegates at a party meeting in Berlin shortly before he was chosen as SPD leader in a vote in which all 605 of the valid votes gave him a 'yes'.

Delegates signalled with their hands they also wanted him to run for the SPD in the Sept. 24 election.

He also reiterated his calls for free education, more investment such as in nursing care and schools.

as well as qualification programmes for the unemployed in a speech that earned him a standing ovation. It is necessary to close the "intolerable pay gap" so men and women in both eastern and western Germany get the same amount of pay for doing the same work, Schulz said. </s> German Social Democrat leader (SPD) Martin Schulz stepped down with immediate effect on Tuesday and said the party's committee had backed parliamentary floor leader Andrea Nahles as his successor.

BERLIN: German Social Democrat leader (SPD) Martin Schulz stepped down with immediate effect on Tuesday and said the party's committee had backed parliamentary floor leader Andrea Nahles as his successor.

Nahles still needs to be formally nominated by the party executive, which is meeting on Tuesday evening. A vote will then take place at an extraordinary party congress on April 22.

The move comes ahead of a ballot of the SPD's 464,000 members, who get the chance to veto a coalition deal agreed last week with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.

The SPD is split over the coalition deal and the division of ministerial posts. Schulz said after the deal was announced that he would step down following the members' vote - the results of which are due to be announced on March 4 - to take the job of foreign minister, but later dropped that plan amid controversy.
The Social Democratic Party of Germany endorses Martin Schulz as its leader.