The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing increasing pressure within his Social Democratic Party (SPD) as members speculate that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius may be a more popular choice to lead the country in the upcoming federal elections. Despite Senior SPD figures reaffirming their support for Scholz, internal debate regarding his candidacy is intensifying, with some members citing polls that suggest Pistorius would be a better option.
The SPD has yet to formally nominate a candidate for chancellor, and with the coalition government collapsing, Scholz is struggling to maintain support within his party. Pistorius has denied actively positioning himself for the nomination, stating that his popularity should not automatically translate into party leadership support over Scholz.
A conference call between SPD leadership and Scholz has not brought any resolution to the internal conflict. The party has set a deadline to decide on the nominee, with a meeting scheduled for late November. Despite Scholz’s insistence that the SPD and he have a successful partnership, his approval ratings have plummeted over the course of his tenure, leading some members to question his ability to lead the party to victory in the upcoming elections.
While some party members have linked Scholz to the ruling coalition’s decline in popularity, others have raised doubts about his leadership following past regional elections. With other political parties in Germany already having chosen their candidates, the SPD finds itself at a crucial juncture as it navigates the decision on who will lead the party into the federal elections.
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