In a recent interview, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged that upcoming elections will test whether voters still support the firm yet cautious approach he has championed, particularly in regard to foreign policy. “This is, of course, something that the public will be thinking about when elections are held in the near future: whether or not the course of resolute support, but also of prudence, which I stand for and which is also associated with the SPD, can be continued,” Scholz said.
Pressure has been mounting on Scholz after U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia. This move has led some to question Germany’s restraint on sending its own missiles to Ukraine. Scholz has so far resisted calls to send German Taurus missiles, despite Russia lowering its threshold for the potential use of nuclear weapons in response to Biden’s decision.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the likely frontrunner in polls to be the next chancellor, has stated his willingness to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine. His stance marks a significant contrast to Scholz’s more reserved position.
Scholz set the stage for an early election earlier this month by dismissing his former finance minister, Christian Lindner. Since then, Scholz has positioned himself as the “safe choice” for the chancellorship, despite suffering from low approval ratings. His decision to remove Lindner was seen as a strategic move to consolidate support within his party, the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
However, Scholz faces internal pressure from within the SPD as well. Some members are debating whether Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who is currently the most popular politician in the country, might be a better candidate for chancellor. Pistorius has received public backing from several prominent SPD figures, though Scholz insisted that the party remains unified behind him.
“I also say quite clearly that the SPD and I want to win the next election together,” Scholz reaffirmed during an interview conducted by Axel Springer media outlets at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. (Note: POLITICO is owned by Axel Springer.) Despite the internal and external challenges, Scholz seems determined to lead his party into the next election, advocating for continuity in Germany’s cautious yet resolute foreign policy approach.
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