With fewer than 50 days until the September 18 election, Gerhard Schröder, Germany's embattled chancellor, took to the campaign trail on Wednesday night, accusing the election favourites, the opposition Christian Democrats, of "being unfit to govern".

Looking bronzed and unusually rested after a short holiday, Mr Schröder told a rally of his Social Democratic party in Hamburg that globalisation and an ageing population meant there was no alternative to his government's tough - but unpopular - welfare and labour market reforms.