Weak leadership: Scholz’s replacement is being discussed in Germany due to low ratings
Members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) are actively considering replacing current Chancellor Olaf Scholz with a more popular politician ahead of elections scheduled for 2025.
As informs According to the Financial Times, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger, a former athlete and shot putter, are among possible replacement candidates.
Internal party sources claim that in private discussions there are increasingly thoughts about excluding Scholz from the election list due to his low rating among voters. This decision is partly motivated by the example of the United States, where Joe Biden, although still the leader, could cede a role in the campaign in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. The latest survey by the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen shows that 77% of German citizens consider Scholz a “weak leader”, which adds weight to this initiative.
The situation may become especially critical for the chancellor after the September 22 elections in the state of Brandenburg. The region, which the SPD has held since German reunification, is now under threat from a victory by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The party’s defeat in Brandenburg could significantly increase internal party pressure on Scholz and put his political future in question.
Criticism from the opposition is also growing, especially regarding the unresolved problems of illegal immigration, economic difficulties and growing support for populists. Scholz’s supporters, meanwhile, say that working in a three-party coalition is a difficult task, complicated by internal divisions, especially as elections loom.
Despite these challenges, Germany remains able to support financing of Ukraine and increase spending on the defense sector, even in the face of serious economic difficulties, as noted in the analytical materials of the Bloomberg agency.
