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German economics minister offers to resign
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 07 - 02 - 2009


In a surprise move, German Economics
Minister Michael Glos offered to resign Saturday, less that eight
months before the country votes in a general election, but the offer
was promptly turned down by his party boss, according to dpa.
In a letter to Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Horst Seehofer,
the 64-year-old Glos cited age reasons and the need for the CSU,
after disappointing state election results last fall, to renew itself
ahead of next fall's general elections.
The development was initially reported by the Sunday paper Bild am
Sonntag which had obtained a copy of the letter, and then sources
close to the minister confirmed it and said he had informed
Chancellor Angela Merkel of his intention.
But in Munich, CSU party leader and Bavarian state Prime Minister
Seehofer said he would not grant Glos his request to resign.
"Michael Glos has my trust. I have told Michael Glos by telephone
that I am not agreeing to his request," Seehofer said through a
spokesman.
Seehofer said he would hold "personal talks" with Glos in order to
discuss the reasons which the Economics Minister had cited in his
letter offering to resign.
The CSU is the Bavarian sister party of Merkel's conservative
Christian Democrats (CDU). Glos has headed the economics ministry
since November 2005 when Merkel took office in a grand coalition with
the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).
The CSU lost its absolute majority in Bavarian state elections
last September and was forced to seek a coalition with the business-
oriented Free Democrats (FDP).
After the election setback, "renewal, creative power and
credibility are needed more urgently than ever," Glos said in his
letter, the text of which appeared on the website of the daily
newspaper Die Welt on Saturday evening.
"Since I am completing my 65th year in this year, it is in keeping
with my life plans to belong to no further cabinet after 28
September," Glos said, citing a date which comes a day after the
September 27 general elections.
In his letter, Glos said he would be "fully engaged" in working
"for our election goals and so that Angela Merkel may continue to
successfully govern our country."
Glos told Seehofer he should decide whether to replace him as soon
as possible by another member of the CSU or to wait until after the
elections.
In line with tradition, the parties in the ruling coalition
propose replacements for their own members who leave the cabinet.
A member of the CSU since 1970, Glos was elected to parliament in
1976. Before moving to his cabinet job, he was leader of the CSU
parliamentary group in Berlin.
Glos, who took a conservative approach to economic policy, often
cut an uncomfortable figure in the cabinet and was at odds with
Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a Social Democrat.
His decision to quit comes at a time when Germany is facing its
deepest recession in decades, with growth slumping, unemployment
rising and banks reluctant to provide credit.
Last month the government announced a 50-billion-euro (65-billion-
dollar) fiscal stimulus package to help Europe's biggest economy
weather the economic downturn.


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