Gerhard Schroeder has brought 16 years of conservative government under Helmut Kohl to an abrupt end. The Kohl era has come to a close.
Observers expect a complete break with the past.
Born in 1944, Schroeder represents the post-war generation. The SDP is expecting the inaugural session of the new Bundestag to be held on 19-20 October. This was the worst performance at a general election for Germany's Christian Democrats since 1949 when the German Federal Republic was established. Schroeder represents a break with the past. The new chancellor will be the first of his generation, rooted in the 1960s leftist movement, to lead Europe's economic powerhouse.