Minister President Weil: "Scholz is number one"

SPD - Minister President Weil: "Scholz is number one"

Lower Saxony Minister-President Stephan Weil (SPD) dismisses the impression that Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz is losing control within the SPD. "Olaf Scholz is the number one in the SPD. I believe that I am in agreement with a very large majority of SPD members on this," Weil told the German Press Agency in Hannover.

"Now we have the opportunity, with the agreement on the federal budget, to begin anew in the traffic light coalition. But if the traffic light coalition continues to argue as much as it has so far, then the Federal Chancellor will be able to move relatively little on his own. We are not a monarchy."

Criticism of the Traffic Light Coalition

The federal government consisting of SPD, Greens, and FDP has achieved successes, said the Lower Saxony prime minister. "This includes, without a doubt, the fact that they have now agreed on a draft for the federal budget 2025. But many of these successes have disappeared in the meantime in a huge tangle of disputes."

That must change. "I wish for a completely different cooperation in the traffic light coalition: a traffic light coalition in which one talks to each other and the plans are then presented closed to the outside. Then one will also achieve a different effect," demanded Weil.

The SPD must process the defeat in the European election

The European election, in which the SPD dropped to 13.9 percent, was a heavy defeat for his party, said the SPD state leader. "That the AfD is ahead of the SPD is not something I can easily accept," he said. Above all, among young people and among workers, a core group of the SPD, his party had performed poorly.

"We must draw conclusions from this result. I think one should not simply move on from this as if it were just another day," said Weil. "It is clear to see that the social question in Germany must play a greater role than it has so far. That must be the core of our politics."

Therefore, the SPD needs a stronger focus on issues that people consider important for themselves. "The SPD is always strong when people have the impression that we are dealing with our problems and not with any other things. And of course, concrete progress is expected from the SPD, for example, on the minimum wage," said the Minister-President.

1. The European elections resulted in a significant setback for the SPD in Germany, with the party obtaining only 13.9% of the votes, a fact acknowledged by Lower Saxony's SPD state leader, Stephan Weil.
2. In response to the European elections, Stephan Weil emphasized the need for the SPD to draw conclusions and increase its focus on issues that matter to the people, such as the social question and the minimum wage.
3. The coalition government in Germany, consisting of the SPD, Greens, and FDP, has faced criticism from Stephan Weil due to its inability to effectively communicate and present plans in a closed manner.
4. Weil, as the Lower Saxony Minister-President, highlighted the need for a more cooperative climate within the traffic light coalition, stating that the current disputes are hindering the Federal Chancellor's ability to make significant moves.
5. In Hannover, Weil expressed confidence in Olaf Scholz's leadership within the SPD, dismissing the idea that the Federal Chancellor is losing control within his party.
6. The SPD's achievements, including the agreement on the federal budget 2025, have been overshadowed by internal disputes within the traffic light coalition, according to Weil, who called for a more collaborative approach to governance.

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