Scholz desires Merz as a rival contender.
In recent polls, the CDU/CSU party has a substantial lead over the Social Democrats, with CDU leader Friedrich Merz ahead of SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Yet, Scholz still wants to challenge Merz in the upcoming federal election, even though he can't explain his reason for doing so.
During an event organized by Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) in Potsdam, Scholz shared his thoughts on running against Merz. When asked if he was prepared for the CDU/CSU to nominate Merz as their chancellor candidate, he responded, "I think that's very likely and - if I may say so - it would be fine with me, but that's up to the CDU/CSU to decide." However, he refused to answer why he desires this matchup. Scholz added, "I'm not talking about that now. Go ahead, I'd like to say now!"
Scholz seeks to maintain a flexible approach throughout the campaign. "My actual stance on these issues has always been that you can't know how it will all turn out and that you should also have a political debate with anyone or everyone who presents themselves as a candidate," he said. He mentioned the numerous individuals who have been considered as potential Union chancellor candidates during the previous legislative period. Speaking about his relationship with Merz, Scholz said, "From my perspective, it's good."
Merz was recently confirmed as the CDU party leader. The CDU's decision on their chancellor candidate will be made following the upcoming elections in three eastern German states in September. Besides Merz, CSU leader Markus Söder and CDU's North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Hendrik Wüst are known to be vying for the position of the CDU's chancellor candidate. Meanwhile, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is confident that Scholz will guide the Social Democrats into the 2021 parliamentary election campaign.
Based on the latest Forsa poll results from ntv and RTL trend barometer, the CDU/CSU party enjoys 31% support, which would place them second if the Bundestag were to be elected at that moment. Merz personally outperforms Scholz and Green Party leader Robert Habeck as a candidate for chancellor. According to the same hypothetical three-way race, Merz would receive 23% of the votes, Scholz 18% and Habeck 17%. The next federal election is scheduled for the summer or fall of 2025.
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Despite Merz's lead over Scholz in recent polls, Scholz remains determined to face Merz as a rival contender in the 2025 Federal election, even though he cannot provide a clear reason for his choice. With Merz recently confirmed as the CDU party leader, the race for the chancellor candidate position between Merz and other contenders, such as CSU leader Markus Söder and CDU's North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Hendrik Wüst, is ongoing. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, on the other hand, is confident in Scholz's ability to guide the Social Democrats into the 2021 parliamentary election campaign.
Source: www.ntv.de
