'Angie' anthem for German conservative party

Germany's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) turned up the volume yesterday on a controversy over a song that is the unofficial anthem of their election campaign - Angie by the Rolling Stones.

The opposition has been playing the 1973 hit at the end of speeches by party leader Angela Merkel, who aims to oust chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in a September 18 general election. But a band official has said the CDU did not ask to use the song and would not get permission if it did.

The CDU elected to play the song again after a rally in Warnemuende yesterday.