Bundestag election: Scholz would like Merz as the Union candidate for chancellor

Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he would like to have CDU leader Friedrich Merz as an opponent of the Union in the next federal election campaign. “I think that is very likely and – if I can say so – I would be quite happy with it, but the CDU/CSU will decide that,” said the SPD politician at a panel discussion organized by the Editorial Network Germany (RND) in Potsdam.

He was responding to the question of whether he was preparing for the Union to nominate Merz as its candidate for chancellor and for him to become his opponent. But Scholz didn’t want to give a reason for that: “I won’t say that now,” he said with a smile. “Go ahead, I would like to say now!”

The Chancellor wants to react flexibly: “My actual attitude to these questions has always been that you can’t know how it will happen and that you should also conduct the political debate with everyone who presents themselves as an applicant.” said Scholz. “If I just look at the last legislative period and who has been presented to me over time as the likely Union candidate, then the list is quite long.” Scholz described his relationship with Merz as follows: “From my side, it’s good.”

Merz was confirmed as party leader by the CDU last Monday. The decision on the Union’s candidacy for chancellor will only be made after the elections in three East German states in September. In addition to Merz, CSU boss Markus Söder and North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) are said to have ambitions to run for chancellor of the Union. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is convinced that Scholz will lead the Social Democrats in the federal election campaign next year.