- Woidke is not counting on a public campaign with Scholz
Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) will, according to his own statement, refrain from public campaigning with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz - but they will appear together at a party event. When asked if he planned joint campaign appearances with his prominent party colleague, Woidke said in an interview with the "Handelsblatt": "No. The Brandenburg SPD has always had the good fortune to rely on strong local personalities."
However, Scholz is scheduled to appear together with Woidke at an SPD summer festival in Potsdam on August 30. Around 1,000 invited guests are expected, mainly representatives of Brandenburg's civil society, according to the party.
Woidke wants to defeat the AfD
"We have won seven state elections, we want to win the eighth as well," Woidke said. He sees good chances for this. It's about who will lead the state of Brandenburg in the future. "I want to continue as Minister President," said Woidke.
The Minister President had announced that he would link his political fate in office to a victory of his SPD in the state election in September. "My goal is to win against the AfD - and if I lose against the AfD, I'm out," said the SPD politician.
Other parties are clearly relying on their political big names in the campaign before the state election in Brandenburg. CDU party leader Friedrich Merz has already been campaigning for the CDU for weeks. The Greens are planning campaign events with Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck. The FDP is relying on several appearances by Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner for its campaign.
Despite Woidke's decision to avoid joint public campaigning with Chancellor Scholz, they are set to appear together at an SPD event before the upcoming state election in Brandenburg. Woidke's political future and the leadership of Brandenburg are at stake in this election, as he has linked his political fate to a victory over the AfD in the state elections.
