The debate over whether German Chancellor Olaf Scholz should run for a second term in early elections is heating up within his party, according to AP News.
Scholz’s Social Democrats have yet to formally nominate their candidate for chancellor in the vote, which is expected to take place on 23 February. Meanwhile, party leaders and cabinet ministers insist Scholz will be a candidate, but are trying hard to quell talk of a change in power.
A group of Social Democratic lawmakers from North Rhine-Westphalia, led by Wiebke Esdar and Dirk Wiese, said the discussion was necessary.
In the centre is the question of what the best political lineup is now for this election. We are hearing a lot of compliments for Boris Pistorius. It is clear that ultimately the party committees will decide on the question of the candidacy for chancellor, and that is also the right place for it.
Scholz has no formal position in the party leadership, but Social Democrat leaders are firmly backing him. However, polls show support for the party at 16%, down from 25.7% in 2021.
Scholz’s popularity plummeted along with the reputation of his coalition with the Greens and Free Democrats. The rift culminated when Scholz sacked Finance Minister Christian Lindner on 6 November, with Lindner’s Free Democrats leaving the government.
Scholz plans to call a vote of confidence in parliament on 16 December. If he loses, it will give the German president the option of dissolving parliament and calling new elections seven months earlier than planned.
In September, the Union bloc nominated Friedrich Merz as its candidate. Scholz’s remaining coalition partners, the Greens, appointed Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck to head their fight on Sunday. Meanwhile, the popular Pistorius has repeatedly said he supports Scholz and has given no indication that he plans to run for chancellor.
