Angela Merkel's decision to campaign on behalf of French President Sarkozy has infuriated the German opposition, with some warning that it could damage German-French ties. But German commentators say that the bigger threat is posed by Sarkozy's Socialist challenger Francois Hollande.

German general elections aren't until 2013, but it would appear that the campaign has already begun. Even more surprising, the initial stages of the stumping are taking place across the border in France.

Following Chancellor Angela Merkel's controversial pledge to back fellow conservative French President Nicolas Sarkozy on the campaign trail ahead of elections there this spring, Germany's opposition Social Democrats have said they will throw their support behind Sarkozy's challenger, Socialist Francois Hollande.

In an interview with the daily Rheinische Post, SPD deputy head Hannelore Kraft said "the SPD will naturally also support the French Socialists during the campaign in France."

Other opposition politicians have found sharper words for Merkel's decision to take sides in the French vote, the first round of which is scheduled for April 22. Jurgen Trittin, parliamentary floor leader for the Green Party, said that Merkel campaigning on behalf of Sarkozy could "damage German-French ties," particularly given the substantial lead Hollande currently enjoys in the polls. Sigmar Gabriel, head of the center-left SPD, called Merkel's move "rather embarrassing."

Deflection

The comments came on the heels of a joint television interview given by Merkel and Sarkozy in the Élysée Palace in Paris on Monday afternoon. The German chancellor insisted that the interview was not a campaign event, particularly given that Sarkozy has yet to formally declare his candidacy for re-election. But many of the questions posed by the two interviewers, one from German television station ZDF and the other from French broadcaster France 2, focused on her decision, announced late last week, to engage in some unconventional cross-border stumping.