Reactions to rejection
“He would have been the best candidate for chancellor for Germany”
Boris Pistorius is not available for the SPD top position. Reactions from his party colleagues and observers are mixed.
It was his own, personal decision, said Boris Pistorius in a video message to his SPD comrades on Thursday evening and announced that he would not be available as a candidate for chancellor. “We have an excellent Chancellor in Olaf Scholz,” said Pistorius. Scholz is “the right candidate for chancellor”.
Pistorius’ decision is not fully welcomed by party colleagues. “Onno Eckert, district administrator of the Gotha district, said this star: “His decision should be respected. Nevertheless, I would have wished for something different; for Germany and for German social democracy he would have been the best candidate for chancellor.”
Andreas Bausewein, ex-mayor of Erfurt and former Thuringian SPD state leader, said star: “I’m sobered up after this evening. People these days tend to vote for people and less for programs. We as the SPD would have done better with Boris Pistorius. The probability of preventing Merz would simply have been greater with him. The motivation in the party is now appropriate. We all feel how hard it is blowing at us and pushing us down. The failure of the traffic light is now being blamed on Scholz. But well, a lot can happen in a good 90 days through.”
“I regret this development,” said SPD member of the Bundestag Joe Weingarten to “Spiegel”. “Now the goal must be to work together and achieve the best possible election result for the SPD,” he added.
Boris Pistorius: This is how politicians react to his rejection
An unnamed state politician from the SPD found clearer words: “Willfully like lemmings into ruin. Madness. Without courage. Just like that,” he told the “Spiegel”. The SPD MP Johannes Ahrlt remained more diplomatic. “Even if I would have wished for a different decision: Now we have a decision. That’s good for the party and the country. Now we’re going into the federal election campaign as a unit,” Ahrlt told “Spiegel”.
Pistorius’ decision also sparked mixed reactions online. “So, the next chancellor will most likely be called Merz,” wrote FDP politician Jens Teutrine on “Why did it actually take Pistorius so long? Now he has done damage to the SPD,” commented author Jutta Ditfurth at X.
“My crystal ball says: Pistorius recommends himself as defense minister in a new government (presumably GroKo) and as vice chancellor for Friedrich Merz. Unaffected by a lousy election result for the SPD. Smart,” analyzes the former star-Editor-in-chief and publisher Andreas Petzold on the short message service.
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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.
