Franz Muentefering, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party SPD, left, and Sigmar Gabriel, right, hold a press conference in Berlin, Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. Throughout the day, the SPD was discussing a new leadership for the party after their heavy losses in Germany's general elections. In background the statue of former Chancellor and SPD chairman Willy Brandt. AP Photo logo AP Photo 2 months ago

Franz Muentefering, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party SPD, left, and Sigmar Gabriel, right, hold a press conference in Berlin, Monday, Oct. 5, 2009. Throughout the day, the SPD was discussing a new leadership for the party after their heavy losses in Germany's general elections. In background the statue of former Chancellor and SPD chairman Willy Brandt.

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  1. Designated leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) Sigmar Gabriel (C) arrives for a party board meeting in Berlin October 5, 2009. Germany's Social Democrats, still reeling from their worst election since World War Two, began a leadership shake-up on Tuesday as they prepared to head into opposition for the first time in more than a decade.
  2. Outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) Franz Muentefering (R) and designated party leader Sigmar Gabriel attend a party board meeting in Berlin October 5, 2009. Germany's Social Democrats, still reeling from their worst election since World War Two, began a leadership shake-up on Tuesday as they prepared to head into opposition for the first time in more than a decade.
  3. Outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) Franz Muentefering (R) and designated party leader Sigmar Gabriel attend a party board meeting in Berlin October 5, 2009. Germany's Social Democrats, still reeling from their worst election since World War Two,. began a leadership shake-up on Tuesday as they prepared to head into opposition for the first time in more than a decade.
  4. Designated leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) Sigmar Gabriel attends a party board meeting in Berlin October 5, 2009. Germany's Social Democrats, still reeling from their worst election since World War Two, began a leadership shake-up on Tuesday as they prepared to head into opposition for the first time in more than a decade.
  5. Designated leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) Sigmar Gabriel attends a party board meeting in Berlin October 5, 2009. Germany's Social Democrats, still reeling from their worst election since World War Two, began a leadership shake-up on Tuesday as they prepared to head into opposition for the first time in more than a decade.
  6. Designated leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) Sigmar Gabriel attends a party board meeting in Berlin October 5, 2009. Germany's Social Democrats, still reeling from their worst election since World War Two, began a leadership shake-up on Tuesday as they prepared to head into opposition for the first time in more than a decade.
  7. Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Franz Muentefering (R) and designated chairman Siegmar Gabriel gesture during the preparations of the SPD party congress in Dresden, eastern Germany on November 12, 2009. The congress, taking place from November 13 to 15, 2009, is said to elect former German Environment Minister Gabriel as the new party chairman.
  8. BERLIN - OCTOBER 07: German Environment Minister and Social Democrat (SPD) Sigmar Gabriel arrives for the final German weekly cabinet meeting of the current government at the Chancellery on October 7, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Gabriel's political party, the German Social Democrats (SPD), have nominated Gabriel as new chairman of the party following disastrous results in recent federal elections.
  9. BERLIN - OCTOBER 07: German Environment Minister and Social Democrat (SPD) Sigmar Gabriel arrives for the final German weekly cabinet meeting of the current government at the Chancellery on October 7, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Gabriel's political party, the German Social Democrats (SPD), have nominated Gabriel as new chairman of the party following disastrous results in recent federal elections.
  10. BERLIN - OCTOBER 07: German Environment Minister and Social Democrat (SPD) Sigmar Gabriel arrives for the final German weekly cabinet meeting of the current government at the Chancellery on October 7, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Gabriel's political party, the German Social Democrats (SPD), have nominated Gabriel as new chairman of the party following disastrous results in recent federal elections.
  11. BERLIN - OCTOBER 07: German Environment Minister and Social Democrat (SPD) Sigmar Gabriel arrives for the final German weekly cabinet meeting of the current government at the Chancellery on October 7, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Gabriel's political party, the German Social Democrats (SPD), have nominated Gabriel as new chairman of the party following disastrous results in recent federal elections.
  12. German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Angela Merkel stands next to outgoing Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) of the Social Democrats (SPD) and outgoing Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) after they received their certificates formally relieving them of their government duties, at Bellevue Castle in Berlin October 27, 2009.
  13. PICTURE PACKAGE OF NINE PHOTOS SHOWING THE SITUATION ON HISTORIC SPOTS IN BERLIN - 20 YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF THE WALL - - Photo taken Oct. 31, 2009 at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, and displaying a photo of Reverend Martin Luther King, American civil rights leader, invited to Berlin by West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt, as he visits on September 13, 1964 the red wall at the border Potsdamer Platz. An Associated Press archive photo set in the same location to mark the 20 year anniversary since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
  14. Franz Muentefering (C), outgoing leader of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), arrives among party fellows to a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the death of late German Chancellor Willy Brandt (1913-1992) at a cemetery in Berlin, October 8, 2009.
  15. Franz Muentefering, outgoing leader of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), attends a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the death of German Chancellor Willy Brandt (1913-1992) at a cemetery in Berlin, October 8, 2009.
  16. Franz Muentefering, outgoing leader of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), arrives for a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the death of German Chancellor Willy Brandt (1913-1992) at a cemetery in Berlin, October 8, 2009.

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