New election: SPD struggles over K question – Scholz apparently undeterred

Despite the debates about Defense Minister Boris Pistorius as a possible SPD candidate for chancellor, Chancellor Olaf Scholz seems to continue to expect the party to appoint him again. He made this partly clear in interviews at the end of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

“I can’t complain about the support of the party leadership”

In an interview with RTL and ntv, Scholz said when asked whether the SPD’s candidate for chancellor would be called Olaf Scholz: “I think that the discussions that are now being held are completely okay. But we want to win together. Yes, that’s the case is it.” At ProSieben/Sat.1 newstime he answered a question that was asked almost word for word: “It’s completely clear that we want to compete together. And I can’t complain about the support of the party leadership. They have a lot of support there clearly stated and answered this question you just asked very clearly.”

In a press conference and other interviews, Scholz was more evasive. The SPD and he wanted to be successful together and win the federal election together, he emphasized. “We want to be successful together,” he said. “Together, me and the SPD.” When asked about his chances of becoming a candidate for chancellor, Scholz did not answer this directly. On ZDF, Scholz admitted to a discussion within the SPD, but when asked whether he was preparing for the party leader to give him bad news about his candidacy tomorrow, he said: “Don’t get your hopes up, the SPD stands together.”

In the evening, the party leadership discussed the election campaign in a meeting. Afterwards, no news came out in the evening – neither about Scholz being nominated again nor about a replacement for Pistorius. It was one of the regular meetings in preparation for the federal election and the upcoming party conference, it was said in the Willy Brandt House. The party chairmen Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken, general secretary Matthias Miersch and the deputy party chairmen should take part in the conversation. Scholz himself had just completed deliberations at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro and was not supposed to be involved.

In the SPD, the pressure to make a decision on the question of the candidate for chancellor had been increasing. The discussion has been going on for days as to whether the incumbent or the Defense Minister, who is doing much better in the polls, is the better candidate for the upcoming new election. A spokeswoman said the evening’s call was “a regular telephone conference with the deputy party leaders to organize the early election campaign in terms of dates and deadlines.”

Pistorius: Answer can quickly become obsolete

Pistorius does not see his popularity ratings as a commitment to his own party. When asked about this, he told the Bavarian media group newspapers: “No. I’m pleased that my work is being honored. And at the same time, the question of whether a party draws this or that conclusion from it is completely different.” When asked whether he believed that Scholz would remain in the running as the next candidate for chancellor, Pistorius answered “yes”. But would he be ready if it didn’t stay that way? “As a general rule, I don’t answer hypothetical questions because an answer I give today may be invalid the day after tomorrow,” said Pistorius.

Scholz said at the press conference in Rio that there was now a public discussion about the SPD’s lineup for the federal election, which was normal given the situation. “But this is clear to the SPD and also to me: We are going into this election to come out of it successfully.” In the conversation with ProSieben/Sat.1 newstime, Scholz recalled “that the SPD won the last federal election, for example, even though everyone had previously said: According to the polls, it doesn’t work at all. It did work.”

Schröder and Gabriel speak out

Meanwhile, former party leaders also joined the debate. Former SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel wrote on Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder considers the discussion as a whole to be harmful for the SPD. “Any debate about an incumbent Chancellor who cannot be replaced hurts everyone,” he told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.

“Never rule anything out”

The incumbent wants to run again for the SPD in the new elections scheduled for February 23rd; the SPD leadership and cabinet members of the SPD have supported him so far. Pistorius is significantly more popular in surveys. In the past few days, more and more SPD politicians at local, state and federal levels have openly spoken out in favor of Pistorius’ candidacy.

He himself made the comments when asked on Monday evening at an event organized by the Bayern Media Group in Passau. “In politics you should never rule anything out, no matter what it is about,” he said. But he also said: “Firstly, since I am a deeply loyal person, and secondly, my life plan never included becoming Defense Minister or even Federal Chancellor, I will do a damn thing and say to myself: I’ll do it, I’ll run for office now. No “You won’t hear that from me. I’m a party soldier.” Pistorius continued: “That’s not part of my life plan and, to be honest, it doesn’t have to be.”

Thuringia’s SPD state leader Georg Maier told the Editorial Network Germany (RND) that Scholz is being held partly responsible for the failure of the traffic light coalition by the population, through no fault of his. “Against this background, the question naturally arises as to whether, from the party’s perspective, a change in the candidate for chancellor would not be better.” The Bundestag member and spokesman for the SPD’s internal current Network Berlin, Armand Zorn, spoke out in favor of Scholz – the network is considered one of three currents within the SPD parliamentary group, alongside the Parliamentary Left and the Seeheimer Circle. “Now it’s important to continue this work with Olaf Scholz,” Zorn told the German Press Agency.

If necessary, decide in a night meeting

From the perspective of former SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans, the party should no longer take much time to clarify the K question. Those responsible must “please decide quickly,” demanded Walter-Borjans in the “Rheinische Post,” “if necessary in a night meeting.” According to the current plan, the party leadership’s decision should be made by an “election victory conference” on November 30th, at which the candidate for chancellor will be presented. A party conference on January 11th is expected to confirm the decision.