Scholz nominated as a candidate for the post of German Chancellor

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has officially nominated Olaf Scholz as its main candidate for chancellor in the upcoming federal elections.

This was announced by the heads of the SPD Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil, RBC-Ukraine reports citing Tagesschau.

The unanimous decision will be approved at the party conference to be held on January 11.

According to Klingbeil, Scholz's nomination was a “targeted decision.” He also emphasized the lack of government experience of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) candidate Friedrich Merz, which, according to the SPD leadership, gives Scholz additional advantages.

Esken emphasized that Scholz has the necessary qualities to lead the country, thanks to his “principled and decisive” approach. She also announced an upcoming “short, clear and combative” election campaign.

In recent weeks, the SPD has been engaged in public discussions about whether to replace Scholz, whose popularity has declined amid the collapse of the ruling coalition, with the more popular Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. However, last Thursday, Pistorius announced that he did not intend to run, paving the way for unanimous support for Scholz.

In the upcoming Bundestag elections scheduled for February 23, four candidates for the post of chancellor will be presented for the first time. In addition to Scholz, these are Friedrich Merz of the CDU, Robert Habeck of the Green Party, and Alice Weidel, whose candidacy will be officially approved by the leadership of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) on December 7.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 26/11/2024