Lineup for new elections: The SPD’s K question: appeals and an evasive answer

Despite assurances from the party leadership, pressure is growing in the SPD to replace its designated candidate for chancellor, Olaf Scholz. More and more grassroots groups are now calling loudly for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Otherwise there is a risk of a dramatic defeat in the federal election, recently warned the Bochum sub-district – part of the influential NRW SPD.

The mood in the party clearly speaks for a change, said sub-district leader Serdar Yüksel to “Stern”. “If you surveyed the members of the SPD, 80 percent would be for Pistorius.” According to surveys, the defense minister is significantly more popular among the population than Scholz, which is why some consider him to be the more promising candidate for chancellor. Whether Scholz runs again is not just his personal decision, emphasized Yüksel. “The question now is whether the SPD will survive.”

For the party leadership, Scholz is considered a set candidate – SPD leaders Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken, as well as Secretary General Matthias Miersch, have repeatedly asserted this in the last few days. Scholz himself has already made it clear that he wants to run and remain chancellor. It is almost impossible for the party leadership to nominate another candidate against his will. In order to make a change, the 66-year-old would probably have to withdraw himself.

Scholz is racing to catch up

Yüksel appealed to the Chancellor to clear the way before Christmas – and thus enable a kind of liberation. In an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Scholz himself only answered evasively when asked whether he could imagine reconsidering his candidacy under certain circumstances. “Well, the circumstances of the next election are pretty clear,” he said. When asked what it would be like if the poll numbers worsened, he added: “The reliability of such surveys is manageable, as the last federal election showed, even if some people quickly forgot that.”

In 2021, Scholz and the SPD were up to 16 percentage points behind the Union two and a half months before the election. A laugh from Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet in the flood area changed the mood – the SPD won and Scholz became chancellor of the first traffic light coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP at the federal level. Now, 100 days before the election, the SPD is 16 to 18 percentage points behind the Union in third place in the polls – still behind the AfD.

Pistorius: “Hypothetical questions”

Pistorius said he wanted to remain defense minister in a future government. “I really have a lot of work in my department. I would like to continue it because it is not yet finished,” he said.

And he emphasized: “We have an excellent Chancellor who has decided that he wants to continue.” He firmly believes that Scholz will be nominated. “And I generally don’t answer hypothetical questions about whether I would be available for anything because I would have to rule out something that no one has asked me about or declare myself available for something that no one has asked me about.”

Decision expected in the next few weeks

After the breakup of the coalition, the SPD no longer has much time to nominate its candidate for chancellor. The election is scheduled for February 23rd – and the campaigns are usually very tailored to the candidate.

A decision from the party leadership is expected at a so-called “election victory conference” on November 30th. A party conference is scheduled for January 11th, at which the personnel could then be confirmed.

Support from the extended management team

Scholz received support from Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke. “The Chancellor is running again. This makes it clear who the SPD’s candidate for chancellor is,” he told the German Press Agency. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach also ruled out a change of candidate. “Olaf Scholz is the right chancellor for the country in these difficult times and he should therefore remain in office after the elections,” he told the “Rheinische Post”.

Esken blames media for debate

SPD leader Saskia Esken acknowledged debates in her party on the K question. But that is hardly surprising given the survey results and the “constant media fire,” she told the Germany editorial network. She confirmed: “For me it remains the case that we are going into the election campaign with Olaf Scholz.” He is experienced on the international stage, successful in forging alliances and has proven that he can overcome challenges. One should not believe that exchanging personnel will solve all problems.