German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing pressure from within his own party as some lawmakers are urging him not to participate in the elections next February and instead make way for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Last week, the German ruling coalition known as the “traffic light” broke apart, and Chancellor Scholz announced early parliamentary elections on February 23. The 66-year-old Scholz expressed his intention to seek re-election.
This week, leaders of the Social Democratic Party, to which Scholz belongs, have shown their support for his candidacy. However, two state lawmakers from the same party have called on him to reconsider his decision.
State lawmakers Tim Stoberock and Markus Schreiber from Hamburg wrote on Instagram, “Scholz has crafted good policies over the past three years, but he has failed to win the hearts of the people and demonstrate leadership. We believe that his negative image in the public’s eye is irreparable. Unfortunately, party leadership often refuses to see such a relatively simple fact.”
Like other local lawmakers, these two state lawmakers support 64-year-old Defense Minister Pistorius.
Pistorius has been repeatedly chosen as the most popular politician in Germany, while Scholz ranked second to last in a recent survey of Germany’s top 20 politicians released this week.
In a Forsa poll of Social Democratic Party supporters, about 58% expressed support for Pistorius as a candidate for chancellor, while only 30% supported Scholz.
When asked about running for chancellor, Pistorius has repeatedly stated that the Social Democratic Party already has Scholz as a candidate.
Currently, the Social Democratic Party ranks third in polls, trailing behind the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), with a support rate of around 16%, a 10-percentage-point drop from 2021.
Sources within the Social Democratic Party disclosed that the leadership has made it clear to Scholz that he needs to improve in conveying clear messages and will be monitoring the polls in the coming weeks.
The final decision may be announced at the party convention in January next year.
Scholz was praised at the beginning of his term for his swift response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and helping steer the economy through the energy crisis.
However, critics argue that Scholz lacks leadership and the communication skills needed to reassure the public during particularly challenging times. Even after the coalition collapse, he did not engage in self-criticism, which has left his opponents dissatisfied.
In contrast, many view Pistorius as a “decisive politician with clear communication who can unite people.” However, political scientist Philipp Koeker from the University of Hanover suggests that Pistorius may not want to risk his chances for other leadership roles by becoming a candidate for chancellor amid the Social Democratic Party’s struggles.
Supporters of Scholz argue that the focus of the February elections will be on the candidates’ experience. Scholz is a proven and stable choice, holding a favorable position, while the main opposition party candidate Friedrich Merz lacks government experience.
Social Democratic Party Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told Deutsche Welle, “Government experience, character traits, and a cool head all favor Olaf Scholz; he is our strongest candidate.”
However, Forsa’s chief, Manfred Guellner, remarked, “The image of him (Scholz) as a loser is certainly accompanying him now. This is a disadvantage in his election campaign.”
(Adapted from Reuters)