Here is another theory for why Gerhard Schroder, Germany's chancellor, decided to go for early elections: he is gambling that either the federal president or the constitutional court will stop him-so he can stay. That would put the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) in the awkward situation of having chosen their candidate, written their programme and spent much of their money. It seems highly unlikely, but such talk is testimony to Germany's state of political limbo. One rumour chases another, and neither a constitutional crisis nor Mr Schroeder's resignation can be totally excluded.
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