- Chechen Expresses Interest in Wagering on Scholz During the Electoral Contest
Despite low approval ratings for Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), his party buddy and Mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, will still leverage the incumbency perk of his former role and the policies of the traffic light coalition for the Hamburg election campaign. "He's a top-notch chancellor," Tschentscher told the German Press Agency.
Tschentscher came to Scholz's defense, who was Hamburg's mayor until 2018, in the face of criticism: In the coalition with the Greens and the FDP, it's hard to "organize politics as smoothly as people desire."
However, there's still no cooperation planned with the Chancellor for the Citizens' Assembly election campaign. "As a government, we've got our tasks. So, my election campaign only kicks off late. There are no solid dates or strategies yet," said Tschentscher. The Citizens' Assembly in Hamburg will go for another round in early March 2025.
Tschentscher commends the government's refugee policy
In the election campaign, you can highlight many smart moves by the federal government, pointed out Tschentscher. As an illustration, he cited refugee policy: "Never has as much been accomplished in this field in the past two years. Previous governments talked a lot about this topic but took no action. That's changed now."
Now there are border controls in Germany, more consistent deportations, and agreements with other EU member states to monitor and control migration at the EU's external borders.
Especially in this contentious subject, Tschentscher sees "so many practical advancements that I have no qualms about aligning with the federal government's stance." He also sees no need for separation from the traffic light coalition in other areas. "Hamburg backs, for instance, the federal government's stance on climate protection and investments in renewable energies."
Tschentscher plans to run for election with the achievements of the traffic light coalition
Even annoying blunders like the first draft of the so-called heating law have been corrected with Hamburg's input. "In other words, there's sometimes criticism of how the traffic light coalition operates in Berlin. Then we also file an objection in the Bundesrat. At the same time, we work well with the ministries in many projects. There are many areas where we clearly support the policy of the traffic light coalition, for example in the area of housing construction targets or in the promotion of hydrogen technology. These are points we can refer to in the election campaign."
The SPD, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has implemented notable changes in refugee policy, a fact that Peter Tschentscher, the mayor of Hamburg and a member of the SPD, firmly supports. Tschentscher maintains that the SPD's policies, such as the establishment of border controls, increased deportations, and agreements with EU member states, have led to significant advancements in this area.
