Germany: Government Denies It Has Been Lobbying For A Senior Job In Brussels For Oskar Lafontaine

Record ID: 4038

  • Title: Germany: Government Denies It Has Been Lobbying For A Senior Job In Brussels For Oskar Lafontaine
  • Date: 13th November 1998
  • Summary: The German government denied it has been lobbying for a senior job in Brussels for Finance Minister Oskar Lafontaine after reports Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder wanted him sidelined. In Germany there has been much talk of the struggle between the new German chancellor and Oskar Lafontaine, the Social Democrat party boss who helped engineer Schroeder's election victory over Helmut Kohl seven weeks ago. Political sources in Paris said on November 12 French and German officials were discussing nominating Lafontaine to head the European Union's executive Commission. The left-winger eclipsed the chancellor in negotiations to form a coalition government with the Greens and stole the international limelight with his attacks on the Bundesbank. Lafontaine, who enjoys close ties with the French socialist party and government, has dismissed the reports as fiction. On November 13 he Lafontaine in parliament as the first response to his keynote speech on tax reform was derision from the opposition, especially over the Brussels rumours. European diplomats have acknowledged that Germany, the biggest net contributor to the EU, might want the presidency after a gap of 33 years. But they doubted Lafontaine would be the candidate, even though the French might back him. If Lafontaine took the Brussels post he would have to give up the SPD leadership, his greatest lever against Schroeder. This would leave the chancellor without any obvious challengers.
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  • Location: GERMANY BONN
  • Reuters ID: LDL00129O26AB
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
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  • Copyright Holder: Reuters Archive
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