“Just look at the sun.” That’s what Olaf Scholz wants for his upcoming summer vacation. But first he has to answer a few questions.
Ukraine war, traffic light row, poll low – can a Chancellor just be lazy, regardless of the current political situation? Olaf Scholz recently answered this question very clearly in an ARD interview: On vacation, he can do that “pretty well,” he said. “When you’re sitting there, you can just look at the sun.”
There are only a few days left until the time has come. On Friday, Scholz has his last official appointment, his participation in the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris. After that, the Chancellor also has three weeks’ vacation. But first he has to answer a few questions.
Today at noon, after the last cabinet meeting before the government holidays, his traditional summer press conference will take place, which is organized by the Federal Press Conference. This is the association in which around 900 journalists who report on federal politics are organized. At these press conferences, questions can be asked on all topics, a few of which are obvious:
US election campaign as the number one topic of conversation
Joe Biden has been something of a favorite head of state for the past two and a half years. In the major crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, Scholz has taken his cue from the US president. After Biden decided not to run again, the question arises as to how the chancellor feels about his potential successor, Vice President Kamala Harris. The press conference will also likely focus on how the federal government is preparing for a possible election victory by Republican Donald Trump. Scholz has so far failed to provide any concrete answers to this question.
Wars without end: Ukraine and the Middle East
With the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and NATO’s promise that the process of admitting the country attacked by Russia into the alliance is irreversible, important decisions have been made in recent weeks. However, many questions remain unanswered, for example: What if the USA stops aiding Ukraine if Trump wins the election? And was the Swiss peace summit just a pipe dream or will it be followed by some kind of peace process?
The war in Gaza has not yet lasted as long as the war in Ukraine, but it has also lasted more than nine months since the Hamas terror attack on Israel in October. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give a much-anticipated speech to the US Congress in Washington today – but only after Scholz’s press conference.
Potential for controversy for the traffic light remains
The hard-won compromise on the 2025 federal budget is far from being finalized: there is still a funding gap of eight billion euros that needs to be filled before the draft is sent to the Bundestag and Bundesrat on August 16. Scholz, Habeck and Lindner have developed ideas for this. However, it is still being examined whether these are constitutionally sound. Among other things, this concerns unused funds for the gas price caps, which are currently still held by the KfW development bank. There are no results of the examination yet. If the experts have concerns, however, the SPD, Greens and FDP could have to open up the budget again.
SPD in a slump – doubts about the Chancellor
In addition to the situation of the traffic light coalition, the SPD is also likely to be at stake, which recently achieved its worst result in a national election in more than 130 years with 13.9 percent in the European elections. The party is no longer as united behind its chancellor as it was after its election victory in 2021. According to a recent Forsa survey for the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), only a third of SPD members are convinced that Scholz should again be the party’s candidate for chancellor in the 2025 federal election. Another third believe that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has better chances. He has been consistently the most popular top politician in Germany in the polls for months.
On September 1, the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony are due to take place, which could plunge the Social Democrats into new turmoil. In both states, the SPD is in the single digits in the polls and the AfD is the strongest force. The election in Brandenburg at the end of September is no less dangerous for the SPD, where it has to fear for its Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke.
Summer peace: just a pious wish?
In the ARD interview, Scholz also said this sentence in anticipation of his vacation: “I’m looking forward to peace and quiet.” That could remain a pious wish. Next Tuesday, day four of Olaf Scholz and his wife Britta Ernst’s vacation, the Federal Constitutional Court will rule on the controversial new electoral law that the traffic light coalition passed last year. If it is overturned, the peace and quiet could be over again.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
