Emperor Schroeder blows top over mag’s ‘naked truth’

Dieter Wiefelspuetz, a social democrat parliamentarian, said the cover was a tasteless attack on Schroeder’s personal rights. ‘‘We’re not overly sensitive but this cover goes too far and ignores the chancellor’s individual rights,’’ Wiefelspuetz said. Stern editor Thomas Osterkorn said the cover was inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fable where a vain emperor bewitches his people into believing he is wearing a fabulous gown until a small boy points out that the emperor is in fact naked.

Osterkorn said the picture referred to Schroeder’s promises to create jobs and reform the economy ahead of a general election in September. Many Germans no longer believed in Schroeder’s magic. ‘‘But it’s not an attack on him, it’s political caricature,’’ he said.