Source:
The IndependentGermany's conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel was beaten by her Social Democrat opponent Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a key television duel broadcast nationwide last night, two weeks ahead of the general election.Viewer polls conducted by Germany's ZDF television channel showed that Mr Steinmeier, the Foreign Minister who is running against Ms Merkel in the election on 27 September, was more than 10 per cent ahead of his rival after the 90-minute debate.
Mr Steinmeier, who has been lagging well over 20 points behind Ms Merkel in the opinion polls, seized the initiative in the debate by calling for German troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by 2013
"We went to Afghanistan to prevent terrorist attacks, including those against ourselves," Mr Steinmeier said. "But we don't want to stay forever. The aim over the course of the next parliamentary period is to lay the foundations for withdrawal," he said.
Although Mr Steinmeier named the date of 2013 for the withdrawal of more than 4,000 German troops deployed in northern Afghanistan, he suggested during the TV debate that the date would be the earliest point at which a decision about a pullout could be made.more:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/merkel-loses-first-tv-debate-with-rival-1786970.html
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