What's happened
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced he will not run for chancellor, endorsing Olaf Scholz as the right candidate. This decision comes amid public doubts about Scholz's leadership and a backdrop of party infighting, as the Social Democrats prepare for elections on February 23, 2025.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to AP News, Pistorius stated, "Olaf Scholz is a strong chancellor and he is the right candidate for chancellor," emphasizing his support for Scholz amidst party turmoil. The Independent noted that Pistorius's announcement resolves speculation about his candidacy, which had been fueled by his rising popularity compared to Scholz. Bloomberg highlighted that Pistorius's decision was a personal one, aimed at stabilizing the party's direction as they approach the February elections. This sentiment was echoed by Social Democrat co-leader Saskia Esken, who called Pistorius's choice a "great signal of solidarity" with Scholz.
How we got here
The Social Democrats have faced declining support, currently polling around 16%. Scholz's leadership has been questioned following the collapse of his coalition government, which was marked by disputes over economic policies. Pistorius's popularity had sparked speculation about a potential candidacy.
More on these topics
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Boris Pistorius is a German politician and lawyer of the Social Democratic Party who has been serving as Minister for Interior and Sports in Lower Saxony since 2013. He has been a part of the Landtag of Lower Saxony since 14 November 2017.
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Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe. Covering an area of 357,022 square kilometres, it lies between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south.
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Olaf Scholz is a German politician serving as Federal Minister of Finance and Vice Chancellor under Chancellor Angela Merkel since 14 March 2018.
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The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Germany along with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.
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Robert Habeck is a German writer and politician serving as co-leader of Alliance '90/The Greens since 2018 alongside Annalena Baerbock.
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Friedrich Merz is a German lawyer and politician. A member of the Christian Democratic Union, he served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1994 and was elected to the Bundestag from 1994 until 2009, where he chaired the CDU/CSU parliament