Gesine Schwan, the Social Democratic party (SPD) candidate to become Germany’s next president, will have to do a lot of convincing if she is to win the hearts of her fellow citizens before the election next May.

An opinion poll has found only 17 per cent support for the 65-year-old, suggesting that the SPD’s surprise move to put up a challenger to Horst Köhler, the popular incumbent, could backfire for the party in the run-up to the far more crucial general election four months later.