Scholz arrives from Brazil as his re-election bid threatens to divide SPD

Admin I Wednesday, November 20, 2024

 

BERLIN – After three days at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived back in Berlin on Wednesday morning, where a serious debate has broken out in his party over whether he should stand for re-election.

Scholz, a member of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), has widely been viewed as an unpopular chancellor, with opinion polls showing many German voters holding a sour opinion of him.

Early elections are expected to be held on February 23, following the collapse of Scholz’s squabbling three-party coalition, and polls currently suggest the SPD could be headed toward a historically poor showing.

That has prompted a dispute within the party about whether to replace Scholz as the party’s chancellor candidate, despite his intentions to lead the SPD campaign. The most likely alternative would be Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who polls have consistently shown as the most popular minister in the government.

A number of SPD politicians and party functionaries have openly called for Scholz to step aside in recent days, and prominent retired party figures such as former chancellor Gerhard Schröder and ex-leader Sigmar Gabriel have also weighed in.

SPD executives gathered on Tuesday night in Berlin to discuss the issue, but did not reach a decision. A consensus among top SPD figures on Scholz’s political future is expected to be forged in the coming days, ahead of an SPD election campaign event on November 30.

Party members are slated to formally approve a chancellor candidate on January 11 at a national party conference.