By EUobserver

Former European Parliament president Martin Schulz is set to be the leading candidate of the German Social-Democratic Party (SPD) for the elections later this year, after the party's leader Sigmar Gabriel stepped down on Tuesday. Gabriel, who was behind Schulz in opinion polls, told Die Zeit newspaper that it was his "duty" to propose Schulz as candidate for the chancellor against Christian-Democrat Angela Merkel. Elections should be held in September.