BERLIN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Former leader of the German centre-left party Social Democrats (SPD) Franz Muentefering on Thursday criticized the SPD's recent decision to divide the roles of party leader and parliamentary faction leader .
It was critical for the party to adopt a unified opposition strategy after falling to a historically low voter share of 20.5 percent in Sunday's general elections, Muentefering told the newspaper Neue Passauer Presse.
Former Labor Minister Andrea Nahles was confirmed as the head of the SPD's parliamentary faction, while its failed election candidate Martin Schulz will hold on to the party leadership.
Muentefering warned that the co-existence of these "two centers" would complicate matters for the party going forward.
Schulz had originally envisioned heading the parliamentary faction himself, but was forced to step down from this demand in light of the SPD's worst electoral performance since World War II.
He then suffered another defeat when party secretary Hubertus Heil, his preferred candidate for the role of parliamentary chairman, failed to obtain the endorsement of delegates.
Instead, Carsten Schneider was able to secure the second most powerful position behind Nahles.
Schneider belongs to the conservative wing of the SPD known as the "Seeheimer circle" which had threatened to block the appointment of the more left-leaning Nahles if it was not allowed to nominate the chairman of the parliamentary faction in turn.
Senior SPD politician Alexander Schweitzer welcomed Nahles' appointment, but expressed his concern in a story run by the newspaper Rhein-Zeitung on Thursday that the appearance of rivaling factions could hamper its successful re-structuring as an opposition party.
Former mayor of Hamburg and SPD veteran Klaus von Dohnanyi even went as far as to urge Schulz to resign.
Schulz "should step down", von Dohnanyi said during an appearance on the public broadcaster ARD, adding that the SPD had to realize that its current party leader was incapable of reversing its political fortunes.
Nevertheless, Nahles responded to such comments by demonstrating optimism over her future cooperation with Schulz.
They both had an enormous task ahead of themselves in the parliamentary faction and party leadership and would therefore benefit from "double the energy". Nahles further announced that she and Schulz would release a "new team spirit" in the party.
Schulz also received support from his party colleague and governor of Lower Saxony Stephan Weil. Weil told the newspaper Handelsblatt that he was convinced that Schulz was the best person to act as a "integrating force" throughout the SPD's current internal debates.
Weil also predicted that Schulz would retain his post as leader beyond the SPD's party conference in December. Many people in Berlin underestimated how emotionally attached many SPD members were to Schulz, he said.
