Berlin - German officials ahead of a summit in Berlin next weekend at which left-leaning world leaders will discuss adapting social democracy to global economic competition are dropping all mention of "the Third Way". With the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, high-priest of the centrist doctrine, staying home with his new baby, the German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroeder has, it seems, stopped talking about the Third Way after getting into hot water with his party for his enthusiastic espousal of Mr Blair's philosophy last year. "We shouldn't use concepts that have become a burden and are open to interpretation," a government source said.
The summit follows a conference involving Mr Blair, Mr Schroeder, Mr Clinton and French and Italian leaders last November in Florence which was widely referred to by the media as the "Third Way summit".