G. Schröder, the German chancellor, is facing a rebellion from the left of his party that seriously threatens the future of his government

A handful of radical Social Democrat Party members could scuttle the key welfare and economic reforms upon which Mr Schröder has staked his political future and cause the ruling coalition to disintegrate. A crisis meeting was held in Berlin on Monday, at which the chancellor accused the left-wingers of blackmail and being agents of "the conservative opposition". At least one of them - Hans-Peter Bartels, an SPD MP from Kiel - has publicly demanded Mr Schröder’s resignation, as speculation grows of a collapse that will pave the way for a grand coalition government between his party and the conservatives, with the latter holding the real power in Germany. Another left-winger, Andrea Nahles, said the government lacked perspective, instinct and concepts. On Friday, Mr Schröder’s centre-left coalition of Social Democrats and Greens passed sweeping reforms to Germany’s health-care system. Despite warning that his government could collapse if it failed to secure its own so-called "chancellor" majority, six of Mr Schröder’s back-benchers deserted him.