SPD head Schulz to assume ministerial post in German gov't despite party resistance: report

BERLIN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- German Social Democrat (SPD) leader Martin Schulz intends to assume a ministerial post in a new "grand coalition" government despite calls within his party to stand down, magazine Spiegel reported Friday.

"He has already made a decision in this regard," an unnamed person within SPD leadership with knowledge of Schulz' plans told the German media. The only remaining question was which federal ministry the former president of the European Parliament would head.

The news came on the same day as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and SPD met in Berlin for the first round of final-stage coalition negotiations.

Earlier, designated Thuringian SPD leader Wolfgang Tiefensee had urged Schulz not to join a new government cabinet himself under Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"A 180-degree-turn in this question would shatter the credibility of Schulz," the regional party leader warned. Tiefensee was referring to a promise made by Schulz in the wake of the SPD's electoral defeat in September to return with his party to the opposition benches of the Federal Parliament (Bundestag).

Following a recent, albeit narrow, vote among SPD delegates in favor of finalizing ongoing coalition negotiations with the CDU and CSU at a specially-convened conference in Bonn, heavy infighting within the party has raised serious questions over Schulz' political future.

According to Spiegel, however, senior SPD figures widely expect Schulz to either become finance minister or foreign minister in a new "grand coalition" regardless of internal strife.

The magazine further reported that embattled Bavarian governor Horst Seehofer (CSU) has also expressed his desire to join Merkel's prospective fourth cabinet. By having Seehofer transfer from the regional to federal level of German government, the CSU would be able to at least temporarily resolve its own internal leadership debate which has gripped the party since national elections in September.

At the same time, the CDU/CSU parliamentary manager Michael Grosse-Broemer told press on Friday that the three parties wanted to draft a final coalition agreement earlier than anticipated by Feb. 4. The working schedule for negotiations included two extra "reserve days" at most.

In the following two weeks, CDU, CSU and SPD politicians will meet in several thematically-organized discussion groups to iron out the fine print of an already existing preliminary coalition agreement. The SPD in particular has voiced a desire to alter significant elements of the joint policy proposal as it stands, a demand which the CDU and CSU so far say they will resist.

During a widely-publicized speech, SPD parliamentary faction leader Andrea Nahles had nevertheless promised to keep negotiating "until the other side squeaks."

While CDU and CSU negotiators have already obtained permission from their respective party leaderships for a re-launch of the "grand coalition," the SPD has promised its more than 400,000 strong members a vote on whether to accept the final outcome of current negotiations. Enditem