(ANSA-AP) - BERLIN - Germany's Social Democratic Party chairman Martin Schulz announced Tuesday he was stepping down from his position immediately, stressing that it was time for a "renewal" of the center-left party. The move was expected after Schulz on Friday abandoned his plan to become the country's foreign minister in a new coalition government with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, following pressure from within the party.

He told reporters the party's leadership had unanimously nominated his choice for a successor, parliamentary caucus leader Andrea Nahles. She will have to be approved by a party congress on April 22, he said.

The turmoil at the top of the Social Democrats has been a major distraction as its leaders have been lobbying for the party to approve the new coalition agreement with Merkel's conservative bloc. It is being put to a ballot of the Social Democrats' 460,000 members. If members reject the coalition, Merkel's only realistic options would be to form a minority government or seek fresh elections. Schulz said the coalition agreement was "70 percent" Social Democratic policy and urged party members to bring "the personnel debate to an end" with his resignation and concentrate on passing the deal. "This is a good agreement," he said. (ANSA-AP).