Bavarian State Premier Edmund Stoiber, conservative challenger to
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in the upcoming September general
elections, addresses the traditional Ash Wednesday political gathering
of his Christian Social Union (CSU) party in Passau's Nibelungen arena,
Februray 13, 2002. More than 7,000 conservative supporters came from
all over Germany to take part in the 50th Ash Wednesday meeting in
Passau. REUTERS/Michael Dalder REUTERS

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