Supposedly, Mr Stollmann stepped down (or rather back) because Mr Lafontaine won his demand that key planning and Europe departments be hived off from the economics ministry and added to the Lafontaine finance empire.

ECONOMIST: Germany

Mr Stollmann, all for trimming the state and backing private enterprise, is fighting to keep his bastion at the economics ministry unweakened, and even hopes to add to it from the research and technology ministry.

ECONOMIST: Germany

As the post-election coalition talks neared their end, Mr Stollmann concluded that the new government would be roaring down the Lafontaine track after all, and he would have precious little chance to change the points from his truncated signal-box.

ECONOMIST: Germany