欧洲议会议长舒尔茨或参选德国总理

Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, is set to stand down and run for office in Germany in a move that will shake up the political world in Brussels and Berlin.

欧洲议会(European Parliament)议长马丁.舒尔茨(Martin Schulz)将卸任议长一职并参加德国竞选，此举将震动欧盟(EU)和德国的政治圈。

The long-serving parliament boss will stand as an MP for the Social Democrats in North Rhine-Westphalia, opening the door for a potential run at the German chancellorship in elections next year.

这位曾长期服务的欧洲议会议长将以北莱茵-威斯特法伦州社民党(SPD)议员的身份参选，这为在明年大选中竞选总理创造了可能。

The SPD said on Thursday that Mr Schulz’s move would not change the party’s plan to choose its candidate for chancellor at an executive committee meeting at the end of January.

周四，德国社民党表示，舒尔茨的举动不会改变该党在明年1月底的执行委员会会议上挑选总理候选人的计划。

Mr Schulz has also been widely seen as a possible successor to foreign minister,

舒尔茨还被广泛视为德国外长弗兰克-沃尔特.施泰因迈尔(Frank-Walter Steinmeier)的可能继任者。

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his SPD colleague, who has been nominated by Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition as the next federal president.

施泰因迈尔是舒尔茨在社民党的同僚，他已被安格拉.默克尔(Angela Merkel)所在的执政联盟提名为下一任德国联邦的总统。

Under German political practice, the ministerial post will remain with the SPD, as the party to which it was assigned when the coalition was formed in 2013.

按照德国的政治习惯，外长一职将留在社民党，这一职位在2013年德国组建联合政府时被分配给了该党。

Ms Merkel is understood to value Mr Schulz’s deep commitment to the EU, despite the difference in personalities between the ebullient Mr Schulz and the cautious Ms Merkel and the party tensions between her CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD.

虽然热情洋溢的舒尔茨和谨慎的默克尔个性完全不同，默克尔所在的联盟党(CDU/CSU,基民盟与基社盟)集团和社民党之间的关系也处于紧张状态，但是默克尔被认为非常看重舒尔茨对欧盟的尽职尽责。

His decision to stand down sets the scene for a bout of political wrangling both in the EU institutions and Berlin,

舒尔茨卸任议长一职的决定，不论在欧盟机构还是在柏林都会引发一轮政治上的争论。

Where the German politician will be among the top contenders to lead the centre left SPD, which is currently in coalition with Ms Merkel’s CDU.

在柏林，这位德国政治家将成为中左翼社民党领导人最有力的竞争者，该党目前正与默克尔的基民盟联合执政。

Mr Schulz’s move will also heap pressure on the current leader of SPD,

舒尔茨此举还会为社民党现任主席主席西格马尔.加布里尔(Sigmar Gabriel)带来巨大压力。

Sigmar Gabriel, who is expected to run as the party’s candidate for chancellor in 2017.

后者预计会在2017年以社民党总理候选人的身份参加竞选。

The SPD has been wracked for months by arguments over who should run as the candidate for chancellor against Ms Merkel who announced this week she would run for a fourth term.

数月以来，围绕谁应该作为总理候选人与默克尔竞选的争论，令社民党处于分崩离析之中。而就在本周，默克尔宣布会竞选总理的第四任期。

The party has said it will announce its candidate in January.

该党已经表示会在明年1月份宣布其候选人。