Federal state premier of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) and member of German Social Democratic Party (SPD) Hannelore Kraft (R) hugs Brandenburg state premier Mathias Platzeck before the weekly party board meeting in Berlin May 14, 2012. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday in an election in Germany's most populous state, a result which could embolden the left opposition to step up its criticism of her European austerity policies. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz (GERMANY - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) 

Mathias Platzeck (C), head of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), his deputy Kurt Beck (L) and secretary general Hubertus Heil (R) smile before a meeting of the party's board in the western German city of Mainz January 15, 2006. REUTERS/Alex Grimm 

Mathias Platzeck (2nd L), head of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and his fellow party members Kurt Beck (L), Ute Vogt (C), Franz Muentefering (2nd R) and Hubertus Heil (R) pose before a meeting of the party's Steering Committee in the western German city of Mainz January 15, 2006. REUTERS/Alex Grimm 

Mathias Platzeck (2nd L), head of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and his fellow party members Kurt Beck (L), Ute Vogt (C), Franz Muentefering (2nd R) and Hubertus Heil (R) pose before a meeting of the party's Steering Committee in the western German city of Mainz January 15, 2006. REUTERS/Alex Grimm 

Social Democratic party (SPD) leader Mathias Platzeck (R) talks to German President Horst Koehler and his wife Eva during the annual New Year's reception in Berlin January 11, 2006. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz 

Franz Muentefering (R) outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and designated party leader Mathias Platzeck (L) receive applause from delegates at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. 

Mathias Platzeck (L), designated leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) walks off the podium with outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder after Schroeder's speech at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. REUTERS/Alex Grimm 

Franz Muentefering (R) outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and designated party leader Mathias Platzeck (L) receive applause from delegates at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. REUTERS/Michael Dalder 

Franz Muentefering (R), outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), outgoing chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and designated party leader Mathias Platzeck (L) receive the delegates' applause at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach 

Franz Muentefering (C), outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and designated party leader Mathias Platzeck (L) applaud to outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (R) after Schroeder's farewell speech at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. Germany's conservatives and Social Democrats are set to endorse their new coalition deal at party congresses on Monday despite a rising wave of criticism that the agreement is bad for the economy and average Germans. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach 

Franz Muentefering (R) outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and designated party leader Mathias Platzeck (L) receive applause from delegates at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. REUTERS/Michael Dalder 

Franz Muentefering (R), outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), outgoing chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and designated party leader Mathias Platzeck (L) receive the delegates applause at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. Germany's conservatives and Social Democrats are set to endorse their new coalition deal at party congresses on Monday despite a rising wave of criticism that the agreement is bad for the economy and average Germans. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach 

Franz Muentefering (R), outgoing leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), outgoing chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and designated party leader Mathias Platzeck (L) receive the delegates' applause at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. Germany's conservatives and Social Democrats are set to endorse their new coalition deal at party congresses on Monday despite a rising wave of criticism that the agreement is bad for the economy and average Germans. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach 

Outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and designated party leader Mathias Platzeck (L) leave the stage after his farewell speech at the SPD meeting in Karlsruhe, November 14, 2005. REUTERS/Alex Grimm Pictures of the Month November 2005 

The President of the German federal constitutional court Hans Juergen Papier, President of the German upper house of parliament Bundesrat Mathias Platzeck , his girlfriend Jeanette Jesorrka, Eva Koehler and her husband German President Horst Koehler and the President of the lower house of Parliament Bundestag Wolfgang Thierse (L-R), pose for the media before the start of the festivities to mark the 15th anniversary of German reunification on October 3, 2005 in Potsdam. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski 

The President of the German upper house of parliament Bundesrat Mathias Platzeck , his girlfriend Jeanette Jesorrka, Eva Koehler and her husband German President Horst Koehler and the President of the lower house of Parliament Bundestag Wolfgang Thierse (L-R), pose for the media before the start of the festivities to mark the 15th anniversary of German reunification on October 3, 2005 in Potsdam. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski 

German Chancellor Schroeder and politicians arrive at the the 'Neue Wache' anti-war memorial after a wreath-laying ceremony in Berlin. President of the lower house of Parliament Bundestag Wolfgang Thierse, President Horst Koehler, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, President of the German federal constitutional court Hans Juergen Papier and President of the German upper house of parliament Bundesrat Mathias Platzeck (L - R) arrive at the 'Neue Wache' anti-war memorial for a wreath-laying ceremony in Berlin May 8, 2005. The politicians gathered at the memorial site on Sunday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Germany. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann 

Brandenburg State Prime Minister Mathias Platzeck (L) talks to
Brandenburg Interior Minister Joerg Schoenbohm during a session at the
upper house of parliament Bundesrat in Berlin July 12, 2002. Platzeck
takes part for the first time in a Bundesrat debate after he took over
as State Prime Minister when Manfred Stolpe resigned. REUTERS/Alexandra
Winkler

AX/CLH/ 

Brandenburg's Interiour Minister Mathias Platzeck , dyke expert Gerd Witzke and Mayor Klaus Gottschalk (L to R) inspect a crack of the dyke of the river Oder near Reitwein, August 2. Some 20,000 people will have to be evacuated from the area behind some 60 kilometers of dyke when it can not be secured by some 10,000 soldiers and thousands of inhabitants.

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