Exit Guido-the-"millstone"

Published on 4 April 2011 at 11:04

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The junior partner in the coalition led by Angela Merkel has been plunged into crisis: "Westerwelle withdraws," headlinesFrankfurter Rundschau, in the wake of Guido Westerwelle’s announcement that he will stand down from the leadership of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the post of Vice-Chancellor. Westerwelle, who will stay on as Minister of Foreign Affairs, has taken the initiative in response to the poor performance of the FDP in recent elections: in the September 2009 general election, support for the party slumped to 14 percent — a record low for a national vote — while the party scored just five percent in the Baden-Württemberg regional elections in March. Without a party, and without the requisite political weight, Westerwelle cannot stay on as Minister for Foreign Affairs, points out the left-wing daily. "The leaders of countries like China, Libya and Afghanistan probably do not spend their time reading articles on the FDP, but someone who has been forced to resign and who is viewed as a millstone by his own party can hardly act with authority. From now on the Foreign Minister will be little more than greeter who is there to say ’hello' – while the Chancellor’s office will take charge of diplomacy."

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