Social Democrats endorse candidacy of Scholz for German chancellor

Co-chairwoman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) Saskia Esken has said that SPD members unanimously supported the candidacy of current Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the upcoming snap parliamentary elections.

The SPD's presidium and executive board held meetings on November 25. This decision now requires approval from the party congress, which is scheduled for January 11, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

"We unanimously decided today, both in the presidium and in the executive board, to nominate Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz as our candidate for the upcoming elections. Given the current situation in our country, Europe, and the world, Scholz is the right chancellor for Germany," Esken stated at a press conference in Berlin.

In Germany, the ruling coalition dissolved in November, and the remaining parties, the SPD and the Greens, no longer have majority support in the Bundestag. On December 16, the parliament will vote on a motion of confidence in the government, which is expected to be rejected. 

The snap elections may be held on February 23, 2025. After the coalition's collapse, Scholz hinted that he intended to run for chancellor again in the upcoming elections. The majority of the party leadership ultimately sided with him, though there was uncertainty around this issue for some time. A portion of the SPD's active members and MPs supported the candidacy of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, whose approval rating was significantly higher than Scholz's one. 

It wasn't until November 21 that Pistorius officially announced he would not run for chancellor and expressed his support for Scholz. However, Scholz's return to the chancellorship is currently considered unlikely. 

The SPD is trailing not only behind its direct competitor, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) bloc, whose candidate is expected to be CDU leader Friedrich Merz, but also behind the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

One of the most likely outcomes of the election, given the current balance of power, is a grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SPD. In this case, Merz would become Chancellor, while Scholz could vie for one of the key ministries, such as Finance or Foreign Affairs.

By Naila Huseynova