German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Sunday he is still optimistic he will win another term with his Social Democrats and has no «plan B,» despite lagging in the polls with only three weeks left before national elections, AP reported. He told ZDF television he was forging ahead with «plan A, and that means fighting for the SPD to be the strongest party.» The elections are scheduled for Sept. 18. An Infratest institute survey for Germany's ARD television station on Friday showed Schroeder's party had gained some ground in recent days, polling at 31 percent, but Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and their sister Bavarian Christian Social Union party maintained a commanding lead with 42 percent support. There has been heavy speculation that if Merkel and her chosen coalition partner Free Democrats cannot form a majority, the CDU might join with Schroeder's SPD instead and form a so-called «grand coalition.» That would almost certainly leave Merkel as chancellor and Schroeder out of work _ a possibility Schroeder rejected, emphasizing his plan was to continue to govern with his coalition Greens. «I'm fighting for the continuation of my work,» he said. «That for me is in the forefront and I have no time or strength for these other things.» --mor 1516 Local Time 1216 GMT
