Gerhard Schröder, the German Chancellor, is set to address The Carlyle Group's proposed acquisition of MTU Friedrichshafen, DaimlerChrysler's heavy diesel motor unit, in a speech on Friday.

A spokesman for the Chancellor confirmed he would be speaking in Friedrichshafen and that he would respond to an appeal in a letter from the company's workers' council to intervene in the US buy-out firm's bid. He declined to comment on the speech's content.