- Scholz expresses that the outcomes of the election held on Sunday are sour.
Ol' Chancellor Scholz from the SPD crew called the election results in Thuringia and Saxony "tough to swallow." Despite that, he was grateful that the "dreary forecasts" about the SPD falling below the five percent threshold didn't come true.
Scholz, in his first words about the results on Instagram as a Bundestag member, said, "Those election results on Sunday are rough – for us too. But look on the bright side: The SPD stood its ground. We put up a solid, clear fight together." He added, "Seeing is believing: Hard work pays off. Now it's time to keep reaching for, and finding, more and fresh support."
In Thuringia and Saxony, the SPD faced its worst election results since 1990, with 7.3 and 6.1 percent respectively. In Thuringia, the result was even their worst in any state election ever.
Concerning the AfD's success in Saxony and Thuringia, Scholz got all anxious. The AfD, labeled as a right-wing extremist group, bagged over 30 percent of votes in both states. "Germany can't and shouldn't get used to this," Scholz stressed. "The AfD is doing Germany harm. They're weakening the economy, stirring up division, and tarnishing our country's good name. Now, all democratic parties have a duty to put together steady governments sans right-wing extremists."
Scholz's prompt response to the election results this time was quicker compared to previous instances, like after the SPD's loss in the European election, where they scored their worst result in a national election in 130 years with 13.9 percent in May. Back then, Scholz only publicly commented on the matter the following day at a press conference featuring a foreign guest, which stirred up criticism within the SPD. However, Scholz sharing his thoughts this time as a Bundestag member might be connected to elections and campaigning being seen as party matters.
Despite the AfD's success in Saxony and Thuringia, Ol' Chancellor Scholz expressed his concern, stating, "Germany can't and shouldn't get used to this. The AfD is doing Germany harm." Later, he emphasized, "Now, all democratic parties have a duty to put together steady governments sans right-wing extremists."
