The past few months have been a troubled time for Germany’s Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners. With opinion polls recording a seriously low ebb in popularity and internal commotion over planned social cuts, there can be little doubt that the party needs to take a long hard look at itself. And that is precisely the plan for the next three days.

There is talk that the conference is a defining moment in the future fate of the party and even Chancellor Gerhard Schröder stands firm in his belief that it will be a great success. "Seldom has a party conference had such an opportunity to represent a turning point", said Schröder.

Gaining support

The conference is a chance for the chancellor to drum up further support for his Agenda 2010 reform program, which, if passed will overhaul the country’s labor market laws, healthcare system and welfare system as well as introducing new tax breaks.

Speaking ahead of the conference, on Sunday, Schröder said he believed his Agenda 2010 had been widely accepted. The main task now, he said, was to make Germany fit for the future. He added that there was plenty to be doing, so all they had to do was to knuckle down and get on with it.

In a pre-conference statement, he appealed to delegates not to get bound up in backward looking discussions but to concentrate on issues of the future such as education and family.

Thousands demonstrate

As the delegates rolled up for the conference on Monday morning, they were greeted by thousands of demonstrators from across the country. Police officers, fire fighters and soldiers had gathered to protest the planned social reforms which would extend their working week to 42 hours and cut current benefits such as holiday pay and Christmas bonus. Defense Minister Peter Struck was the only leading Social Democrat to speak to the demonstrators. He said he sympathized with their protests, and was aware that the situation for soldiers was not a bed of roses.

Andrea Nahles, the spokeswoman for the left-wing of the Social Democrats, has also made her opposition to the planned social reforms clear. The time for frank talking had come, she told the radio broadcaster Radio Eins on Monday.

Opposition changes tack

The probability of a reform summit between the government and the opposition is growing. Following in the tracks of the Christian Democrat leader, Angela Merkel, the leader of the CDU's sister party, the Christian Socialists, Edmund Stoiber, also stated at the weekend, that if it were absolutely necessary, he would agree to a meeting with the Chancellor to decide on the SPD’s reform package.

No time to lose

The general feeling among delegates is that this party conference is not a day too soon. The state premier for Schleswig-Holstein, Heide Simonis told reporters it is crucial, given the alarming opinion polls, that the party be dogged in looking ahead. She is hopeful that the Bochum conference will recapture the imaginations of those who have already turned away from the party.

SPD parliamentary group leader for Lower Saxony, Sigmar Gabriel told reporters on Sunday that he expected intense discussions on such subjects as student fees and inheritance tax, but he stressed that the main thrust of the three-day conference was to talk about aims rather than measures. “Austerity measures alone are not sexy,” said Gabriel.

Awaiting the ballot

This afternoon, all eyes will be on the ballot box as delegates hear the results of the vote to reelect the party chairman, his five deputies, the secretary general and the treasurer. There is no contest for Chancellor Schröder in his capacity as chairman, what is less sure however, is the fate of Secretary General Olaf Schloz (photo).

Scholz took up office in October of last year when he was elected in by an overwhelming 91 percent of votes cast. But in the past few weeks, he has come under fire from his party colleagues for his particular style of “selling” the party. There has even been some speculation about who might take over from him.

But neither the chancellor or Scholz himself appear terribly concerned that there is any substance to the whisperings of him being outed. Schröder publicly defended his secretary general, praising him for his work, whilst Scholz told reporters he was certain he would be reelected, and that he wouldn't be disappointed with the results.