here's nature regarding this dog. this is d w news live from berlin under that machall insists the government will press on the german chancellor says she is not planning any changes to the country's governing coalition this time that the analysis surprise resignation as head of the social democrats plunges the total mission pawn them into crisis.

time on you tube as mckinnon thanks so much for joining us german chancellor angela merkel says her governing coalition will press on with its work that's despite the surprise resignation today at the top of its ranks and i analysis announced she is stepping down as leader of germany's social democrats as the junior partner in medicals coalition not a says she also plans to give up her seat in the german parliament now her announcement comes as have policy agonizes over its future following a double election defeat not less was under pressure off to german voters handed the social democrats there was a step or results in last month's european elections yes p.d. also lost a regional election in the state of braman for the 1st time in more than 70 years analysis released a written statement about the decision. discussions in the parliamentary group and

feedback from the policy have shown that i no longer have the support necessary to carry out my duty as on monday i will def or resign as chair of the s.p.d. i don't choose day i will resign as chair of the s.p.d. parliamentary group. chancellor merkel delivered her response to underpay analysis resignation a short while ago let's take a listen to what she said. you know who can talk my good afternoon ladies and gentleman. and malice has made a very significant decision to date both for herself personally and for the social democratic party of germany and i would like to express the respect i feel for the decision i'm going as you made to work together with her for many years both as jonah's of labor and social affairs and our social democrat party leader parliamentary group leader i always worked with you on the basis of trust and

everything she said was completely reliable. she is a social democrat through and through that can certainly be said but i also think she's a decent person. for dinner and of course i respect the decision you know that the social democratic party will have to make in terms of a successor for under the analysis but despite that i would like to speak on behalf of the government and say that we will press on with the work of governing this country with all of the seriousness that this job entails and with a great awareness of the responsibility ribera because the issues we need to address are clear. both in the federal probably got germany here at home and in europe and in the world if you look at the situation generally and in the spirit we will continue to do our work thank you very much. all right we're joined now by

g.w. correspondent my ass waited outside the social democrat headquarters and chief political editor michel i could feel his outside the c.d.u. headquarters we just heard chancellor merkel's comments babble can we take from from what she said. 1st of all out of respect for and who did stick it out with her party did suffer a very tough days indeed of internal and external criticism but also a recognition on the chances sides if not in as many words that the conservative c.d.u. and the current government her final term as chancellor is now at the mercy of the social democrats of them actually facing finding a way out of yet another internal crisis and also finding the will to continue this governing coalition because they've had in the past there are 2 camps fighting against each other the conservatives all they can do is say well look this is in the end up to the social democrats to decide but one thing is clear there's no

interested to hear in seeing a collapse of this current coalition and everybody here also lacks the imagination what could possibly be in it for the social democrats to get again suffered at the polls in those european elections and who might have an even worse fate to fear if there were fresh elections as well as the americans reaction the c.d.u. party leader and i think callan has also reacted to under analysis resonation resignation let's take a listen to what she said. and a gentleman like to extend one welcome to all of you i have come to speak about the resignation of. the party leader of the social democrats and informs me this morning about her plan to resign as. party leader and parliamentary group leader. of this figure have a great deal of respect for the decision she has made i would like to express my

gratitude to london for good cooperation so 5 always experienced during the coalition negotiations as party leader of the social democrats as a person with a strong character and an honest and rely. partner. for hours working on the assumption that the social democrats will quickly make a person that will relate decisions and ensure that the grand coalition remains. capable of acting for the c.d.u. it remains clear that this is not a time for party tactics we remain committed to the grand coalition with good policy we aim to serve our country if you do you will contribute to the reliability and capacity of germany to act the grand coalition for us is not a means in itself the coalition agreement forms the basis for setting the political

course of germany and representing german interests in europe and in the world this you do you will continue to contribution to working towards a strong functioning government in germany thank you so both on it and both saying the city remains committed to the grand coalition with the s.p.d. is that coalition in fairest trouble now. well it could be and what also becomes clear with the knicks like who with just under 2 minutes spoke almost twice as long as. both not taking any questions which of course would have been very interesting . is that they could come combo formulated a bit more of an expectations towards the social democrats to basically get their act together and to stay within this government and to basically make this government work so that is a slightly softer tone coming from an it could have come combo of of both of course

knowing that the ball is firmly in the course of the social democrat leadership right now and also of the posse base to go along with the so to the to save whoever might end up being at the top of the party maya to you now what next for the s.p.d. will the social democrats the democrats now have to change course radically and try to win back voters. this is the big question of course is how exactly could they do that at this point there's been this slipping in the polls that we've seen for the last several elections. pointed out and now of course the immediate next step is their need to choose a new party leader we've already have a couple of runner people in the running for this position and actually the s.p.d. secretary general threw his support behind one particular candidate and i believe we have a clip from her. this situation is very very serious at the moment to

say otherwise would be wrong we are aware of this and therefore it is important for me to again to state clearly that we are not going to make any rash decisions rather we will consult with one another and think carefully about our next steps it is important to send the signal that this party is not without leadership. my at will a new policy lead to be able to smooth things out quickly for the social democrats things out within the party with the c.d.u. with their voters with the chairman public and voting public in general which is no small task especially as the s.p.d. has become a party that really is needs to redefine what it is what kind of space can they possibly carve out for themselves in the political landscape these days as medical's center right coalition is still trying to occupy is that of a center right area but then you have these parties like the left and the greens

especially which have risen very much in the polls in the last 2 elections really eating away at the space on the left that the s.p.d. used to very very forthrightly occupies so not only is it going to have to be a new leader but some soul searching from within to say what exactly are we a party about these days. turmoil in the s.p.d. of cools really impacts the as the c.d.u. is there a possibility of internal conflicts within the c.d.u. over the next choice of the s.p.d. anita. well usually when the conservative c.d.u. watches the social democrats take things to the brink once again it does kind of straighten internal conflicts out and we also saw that here today i'm in last at one of the state premier one of the fiercest critics of an internet come qanbar. angela merkel's successor as party leader he basically pledged allegiance to and could come cowboy here today quite clearly the conservative c.d.u.

is very adamant that it pretty much has its political ducks lined up and that won't show any cracks but if there were to be fresh elections or when we talk about those eastern states going to the polls where the conservatives are expected to suffer dearly towards the far right if the that could be a completely new ballgame but for now the c.d.u. is eager to demonstrate that it stands in line behind its own leadership could all of this lead to a snap election being. potentially yes but not today not tomorrow the earliest probably in a couple of weeks time the social democrats do seem to want to take a bit of time to resolve yet another leadership issue. my attending to you could we call this a moment of existential crisis for the traditional centrist party. definitely i think so i mean what space do they have left to occupy when we have parties like like i said like the left and the greens coming up from the left and we have

parties like the f.t. on the right encroaching on the space that used to be occupied by the c.d.u. and the c.s.u. it's a big question that really not just the s.p.d. but the cd us going to have to answer as to what are we as a party these days what is being in the center mean anymore and i actually answer the question why don't voters like this anymore why are voters voting more to the experience and how could we possibly get that 2nd back these are all questions that the new party leader but the s.p.d. in general is going to have to answer all right we're going to come back to both of you in a moment of 1st we're going to take a look back at and play analysis korea with the s.p.d. . it was the high point of her career in april 2800 m. to be anonymous became the head of the social democrats for the 1st time in the party's long history a woman who was at the helm is really the instilling in them we're going to make it together we are strong we will succeed that's my promise. her commitment to the

social democrats was unwavering born into a working class family in former west germany now is founded the 1st local s.p.d. association in a conservative district her political views have typically ranged from far left to moderate. in 1905 the newly elected socialist youth chairwoman professed her faith and karl marx. tried to shanghai as the philosopher said his name will live on through the centuries and so will his work i'm certain of this. she proved her resilience both in past leadership functions and as labor minister in the previous coalition. after the party's dismal showing in germany's 2017 elections it was clear she would emerge as a key player. yesterday of the s.p.d. is needed i told you so the north but more bad election results left deep wounds in the s.p.d.

after andrea analysis fought for her party to enter another governing coalition with the center right the s.p.d. suffered heavy losses in state elections now this is hope of reenergizing the party failed to win over voters now that her own party members have lost faith in her leadership now as has thrown in the towel after 20 years. all right maya starting with you your outside the s.p.d. party headquarters now as was the 1st women woman to take the helm now she's announced her resignation just over a year after becoming the s.p.d. party leader was it difficult for the party to have a woman in charge. well it was certainly a groundbreaking moment and also definitely not a could look for them to suddenly have. this turnover so quickly doesn't inspire a lot of faith from their voters from the german public in general and certainly is going to make it more difficult to be taken seriously what with a new leader who's going to have to come in and as we said earlier smooth out all

of these new wrinkles that have appeared in all of these relationships and i think it was just a big change for the s.p.d. to have someone who wasn't. who had been such a prominent figure in the party for so long someone who was not that well known in the outside of the party perhaps someone who her leadership style wasn't really known so now we have this situation is like ok well not show it's not her it's not them then who might is there any suggestion at all that she was pushed out. that it certainly hasn't been the message that's been projected here today we heard from a couple of s.p.d. officials who spoke outside of the headquarters here and their message was really one much more of we're moving forward everything is fine everything will be stable everything is going to continue this is just business as usual her reasons have not been made clear yet whether they were personal political professional but that is something that is going to come out one way or another in the next couple of days

as this new succession question comes more and more into the foreground because there is not an heir apparent select a.