Co-chairman of the Left Party, Oscar Lafontaine resigns from national politics
Michael BärJanuary 23, 2010
Here in Germany, the co-chairman of the opposition Left Party, Oscar Lafontaine says he's resigning from national politics. The announcement ends months of speculation over Lafontaine's political future after he sought medical treatment for cancer. During his long political career, Lafontaine ran unsuccessfully as Social Democrat Chancellor Candidate, before quitting the SPD in 2005. He went on to become a leading figure in Germany's new political Left, which includes former East German Communists.