German Finance Minister Mr Theo Waigel has apparently pulled back from earlier comments about his political future yesterday, by saying he could consider retaining his post if the government was reelected next year.

"I can imagine remaining Finance Minister beyond 1998," Mr Waigel told ZDF television, according to a transcript of an interview with the station.

"But I can also imagine something else, and in that sense the cards will be reshuffled after the elections if we win the support of the voters," he added.

Mr Waigel dropped a political bombshell on Wednesday by telling a regional television station he did not want to be finance minister should the Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl's centre-right coalition win general elections in 1998.

The comments unleashed a frenzy of speculation about a possible reshuffling of Dr Kohl's cabinet and calls from opposition politicians for Mr Waigel to step down immediately.