Schroder will not be the next Chancellor, according to most Germans

BERLIN - Nearly eight out of ten Germans think that Gerhard Schroeder will not be the next chancellor after the legislative elections expected in mid-September, according to a new poll.
Only 19 percent believe that the Social Democrat (SPD) leader, who came to power in 1998, will be next chancellor, according to the Forsa institute poll of 1,001 people conducted on May 26 and 27.
The Social Democrats received only 27 percent of intentions to vote against 52 percent for the CDU which gained four percentage points in a week.
Schroeder could be replaced by the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) leader Angela Merkel, who for the first time edged the chancellor in the popularity ratings, according to another poll released Friday.
Merkel is expected to be formally nominated on Tuesday as the CDU candidate for chancellor.
Schroeder surprised the country with his call for an early election after his party lost heavily to the CDU in a state election in North Rhine-Westphalia last weekend.

05/28/2005 18:12 GMT