Martin Schulz holds rally ahead of Sunday's elections Martin Schulz, the leader of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) holds a rally ahead of the nation's elections on Sunday. The former European Parliament chief is running against Germany's current Chancellor Angela Merkel. Schulz's electoral hopes have dwindled despite his best efforts to shed his image as a European bureaucrat and play up his compelling, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps life story. IMAGES