Edmund Stoiber (R), the conservative challenger of German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder in the September 22 general elections presents
parliamentary floor leader Friedrich Merz of Christian Democratic Union
party (CDU) at a news conference in Berlin June 21, 2002. Stoiber
called Merz, the parlimantary floor leader in the lower house of
parliament Bundestag, into his so-called "competence team" responsible
for fiancial affairs. REUTERS/alexandra Winkler

FAB