Amidst internal criticism and poor approval ratings, Olaf Scholz remains the SPD's candidate for Chancellor in the upcoming federal election. Despite being criticized by his predecessor Angela Merkel, Scholz is set to be officially nominated by the party executive and confirmed at a party conference in January.
The SPD's youth wing, the Jusos, expresses dissatisfaction with Scholz's candidacy, calling the decision-making process a 'shitshow.' They criticize the prolonged debate and lack of a clear strategy to reverse negative trends in public opinion. In contrast, the Union's candidate, Friedrich Merz, enjoys enthusiastic support from the Junge Union.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius supports Scholz as the right candidate, emphasizing Scholz's qualities of reason and calmness, while ruling himself out as a candidate.
There are calls within the SPD to reconsider their political course, inspired by successful Nordic social democrats. Criticism also arises from Green Vice-Chief Sven Giegold, who highlights gaps in Scholz's European leadership.
As the SPD navigates these tumultuous waters, they face the challenge of uniting behind Scholz and addressing internal and external critiques to regain voter confidence before the anticipated Bundestagswahl.
