Chancellor press conference - Questions to Scholz before the deceptive summer slumber
Ukraine War, Traffic Light Crisis, Budget Gap - can a Federal Chancellor be lazy despite the current political situation? Olaf Scholz recently answered this question in an ARD interview very clearly: He can do it quite well on vacation, he said. "When you're there, you can just sit and look at the sun."
There are only a few days left, then it's all over. On Friday, Scholz has his last official appointment, his participation in the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris. After that, the Chancellor also has three weeks of vacation. But he still has to answer a few questions beforehand.
This afternoon, after the last cabinet meeting before the government holidays, his traditional summer press conference will take place, organized by the Federal Press Conference, an association of about 900 journalists who report on federal politics. At these press conferences, any topic can be asked about:
US Election Campaign as the main topic of conversation
Joe Biden was, in the past two and a half years, something like the favorite head of state of the Chancellor. In the major crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, Scholz oriented himself towards the US President. With Biden's decision not to run again, the question arises as to how the Chancellor feels about the potential successor, Vice President Kamala Harris. At the press conference, the issue of how the German government is preparing for a possible victory of Republican Donald Trump in the elections also had to be addressed. Concrete answers to this have so far been elusive from Scholz.
Wars without end: Ukraine and the Middle East
With the start of EU membership negotiations with Ukraine and the promise of the NATO that the admission process of the attacked country into the alliance is irreversible, important decisions have been made in recent weeks. However, many questions remain open, for example: What will happen if the USA stops supporting Ukraine in the event of a Trump victory? And was the Swiss peace summit only a figment of the imagination or will a peace process still follow in some way?
The potential for conflict for the Traffic Light coalition remains
The compromise on the 2025 federal budget is still far from being under roof and ceiling: There is a financing gap of eight billion euros that was supposed to be stopped before the draft is sent to the Bundestag and Bundesrat on August 16. Scholz, Habeck and Lindner have developed ideas for this. However, it is still being checked whether these are constitutionally permissible. Among other things, it goes to unused funds for the gas price brakes, which are still lying at the promotional bank KfW. No result has been obtained yet. If the experts have concerns, the SPD, Greens and FDP may have to withdraw the budget again.
SPD in the Deep - Doubts about the Chancellor
Besides the situation of the traffic light coalition, the SPD also needs to consider its own, as it recorded its worst result in a national election since over 130 years ago in the European election last with a 13.9% share. The party is no longer as united behind its Chancellor as it was after the election win in 2021. According to a recent Forsa survey for the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), only one third of SPD members believe Scholz should be the Chancellor candidate of the party again for the 2025 Bundestag election. Another third think Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has better chances. He has been the most popular German political figure in the polls for months.
On September 1st, state elections are taking place in Thuringia and Saxony, which could throw the SPD into new turbulences. In both states, the SPD is in the single-digit range in the polls, and the AfD is the strongest force. The election in Brandenburg at the end of September is also a threat for the SPD, where they are concerned about their Minister-President Dietmar Woidke.
Summer Break: Just a Pious Wish?
In an ARD interview, Scholz also said this sentence in anticipation of his vacation: "I am looking forward to peace and quiet." It could remain a pious wish. On the coming Tuesday, the day four of Olaf Scholz and his wife Britta Ernst's vacation, the Federal Constitutional Court will rule on the controversial new electoral law that the traffic light coalition passed last year. If it falls, peace and quiet could be over.
- At the press conference organized by the Federal Press Conference, Olaf Scholz was expected to discuss the US election campaign and potential plans for a potential Donald Trump victory.
- Germany and the United States have had close relations during Joe Biden's presidency, with Scholz often looking to Biden for guidance in crises in Ukraine and the Middle East.
- When asked about Kamala Harris as a potential successor, Scholz had not yet provided any clear answers during his press conference.
- The debate on Ukraine's EU membership negotiations and potential NATO admission has been a hot topic, with concerns raised about the impact of a potential Trump victory on US support for Ukraine.
- The Spontaniengruppe Umfrage-Tief conducted an ARD survey indicating that only a third of SPD members believe Olaf Scholz should be the party's chancellor candidate for the 2025 Bundestag election, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius as another potential candidate.
- Following the European election results, there are doubts about the SPD's unity behind Chancellor Scholz, with state elections in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg presenting potential challenges.
- Despite expressing hope for peace and quiet during his vacation, Olaf Scholz's vacation could be disrupted by the Federal Constitutional Court's ruling on the controversial new electoral law on September 6th.
