Kohl snubs critics to rally CDU troops

The German Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl, yesterday ignored critics within his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) as he fired up delegates at the party's annual conference in Leipzig with a pre-election rallying cry. Declaring his ambition to win a record fifth term as chancellor next year, Dr Kohl accused the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) of ideological bankruptcy and political opportunism.

"It is already clear that the coming election will be one of the toughest in the history of our republic. The Social Democrats like to talk about political culture but they practise a ruthless strategy of polarisation between friend and foe," he said.

Dr Kohl, who has led the CDU for 24 years, was rewarded with a wild standing ovation after his 90minute speech. He told the 1,001 delegates that they could still win next year's election, despite trailing the opposition in opinion polls. And he reaffirmed his commitment to the present coalition with the Liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU).

"We want this coalition and no other. CDU, CSU and FDP work well and efficiently together. Of course there are differences of opinion within our coalition and, often enough, entirely unnecessary tensions. The FDP must realise: if it wobbles on the question of the coalition, things will go as they did in Hamburg. The road to the SPD is the road to oblivion. We depend on each other for our joint success," he said.

He criticised his two main opposition rivals - Mr Oskar Lafontaine and Mr Gerhard Schroeder of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) - as unable to manage their own states. "One who is not capable of running their state can not run Germany," Dr Kohl said.

About 600 people demonstrated in Leipzig before the party conference began, unfurling a 100 metre banner condemning Dr Kohl's employment policies. Germany's level of unemployment is its highest since the 1930s, but the chancellor said he was optimistic about Germany's economic future.

This week's conference is aimed at rejuvenating the party's image in advance of next year's election. But, after 15 years in power, younger Christian Democrats fear that a new look will not be possible without some new faces.

Dr Kohl preferred to stick to more familiar tunes, denouncing the German left and intoning his customary incantation in favour of a united Europe.

"Without European unity, German unification would have been impossible. We will make sure that the euro comes on time and in accordance with the economic criteria agreed in the treaty. That is leadership as we understand it," he said.

In Bonn, Mr Franz Muntefering of the SPD said Dr Kohl's performance was "tired" since "the old chancellor is exhausted and can no longer rally his party".