BERLIN (Reuters) –
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's Social Democratic candidate for chancellor, dropped Health Minister Ulla Schmidt from his campaign team Wednesday after she provoked a furore by taking an official car to Spain.

Steinmeier, whose SPD trails the conservatives in opinion polls ahead of the September election, said Schmidt would remain off the campaign team until her use of the car -- which was stolen while she was on holiday in Spain but later recovered -- is cleared by the federal accounting office.

"We agreed that she will only return to the team if these accusations are completely cleared up," Steinmeier told reporters at a meeting of SPD leaders in Potsdam.

The row over Schmidt's use of the official car put both her and Steinmeier in the awkward position of explaining the matter just as their party launched its campaign for the September 27 election.

Schmidt said she was confident the documents she had submitted would prove she did nothing wrong.

"I am sure the inquiry will prove my position," she said.

(Reporting by Brian Rohan; editing by Michael Roddy)