Social Democratic Party leader Martin Schulz announced his resignation, DPA reported. Shortly after, the party's leadership announced that it supported the chairman of the SPD parliamentary group Andrea Nahles for the post. Her candidacy will be voted on by party members on April 22.

According to a source from the SPD, leader of the Social Democrats until April 22 will be the mayor of Hamburg Olaf Scholz. The SPD is in a difficult situation after its support fell to historically low levels after September's parliamentary elections. After initially declining a new coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, the party accepted it last week.

The new governance agreement, however, is yet to be voted on by party members. Former European Parliament Speaker Schulz has been criticized for deciding to continue his joint governance with Merkel's Christian-Democratic Union.

Andrea Nahles also said she would fight for the ruling coalition with the conservatives of Angela Merkel.

"I will defend the idea of ​​joining the big coalition, I will do all it takes to achieve this, "said Nahles, whose party, however, disagrees about joining a new large coalition of conservatives.