**SPD Members Voice Doubts About Scholz’s Leadership, Call for Pistorius to Step In**
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is grappling with waning support, as recent polls place it in third place with just 16 percent, trailing behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). This marks a significant 10 percentage point drop since the 2021 general election.
According to *Spiegel*, MPs from the SPD in the Bundestag have joined local and regional politicians in raising concerns about Scholz’s ability to lead the party in the upcoming federal elections, with many advocating for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius as a potential candidate. This development comes after a meeting on Tuesday of the *Seeheimer Kreis* (Seeheim Circle), a conservative faction within the SPD that promotes “modern and pragmatic” policies.
During the meeting, which involved discussions over lunch and a gathering of the full parliamentary group, many members expressed doubts about Scholz’s prospects in securing a strong result for the SPD. Some participants went as far as to openly express their preference for Pistorius to lead the party in the elections.
Rhineland-Palatinate lawmaker *Joe Weingarten* was particularly vocal in his criticism. According to *Spiegel*, Weingarten stated that Scholz has fallen “out of favor” with voters in the state, and this sentiment runs deep within local SPD groups, adding that it is unlikely to change. Weingarten warned that if Pistorius does not replace Scholz, the February federal election could end in “disaster” for the party.
Weingarten’s comments were reportedly echoed by other participants, escalating calls within the SPD for a leadership change ahead of the elections.
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