Scholz vows to support the SPD in a tough election campaign – the most important points

With the federal election about three months away, Chancellor and Social Democratic Party candidate Olaf Scholz has vowed that his party will play catch-up in the campaign. In his first major campaign speech to about 500 party members in Berlin, he cast the February 23 election as a directional decision between EU conservatism “back from here” and the Social Democrats as Germany's “middle force”. The “common sense” position.

“Now comes the key to the whole thing,” Scholz said in an hour-long speech that drew standing applause. If you go the wrong way now, there will be serious consequences. In the next 85 days, he will dedicate everything to his country and social democracy. «Let’s reflect on our power: don’t complain, just do it. Fight together,” he said at the end of his speech. «If we fight, we will win. Friendship.”

Here are the most important points at the start of the SPD campaign:

SPD hopes to put candidate controversy behind it

On Monday, Schulz was unanimously nominated as candidate for chancellor by the party's executive committee. It comes after two weeks of debate over whether the more popular defense minister Boris Pistorius should be replaced, who has been in the traffic light government since Scholz Politically troubled after the defeat. With an “election victory conference” taking place in Berlin, to which candidates and their teams have been invited, the party now hopes to put the controversy behind it and look to the future.

The goal Scholz has set for himself is to make the Social Democrats – as they were three years ago – once again the strongest force in the Bundestag. However, according to surveys, it currently lags behind the EU by 16 to 22 percentage points. There are only 85 days left before the general election on February 23.

Attack on Lindner: Government work 'systematically undermined'

Scholz began his speech by attacking FDP leader Christian Lindner, whom he sacked as finance minister in early November, thus ending the traffic light alliance. In serious times, Germany needs serious politics, “no players, no gamblers.” Lindner and his Free Democrats have “systematically undermined” the work of the traffic light government for months. “They want to actively prevent the federal government from succeeding,” Scholz said. “This must never happen again in Germany.”

Four key points of economic growth

In order to escape the economic crisis, Scholz listed four points he hopes to promote in the campaign: ensuring industrial employment, especially in the struggling automobile industry; cheap energy for the economy; increasing investment in infrastructure; and solving the shortage of skilled workers. To boost investment, Scholz wants to reform the debt brake.

Scholz called for a further increase in the minimum wage and said only the Social Democrats could provide stable pensions and affordable housing. He stressed that the Traffic Light Government has made tremendous progress in combating irregular migration.

“You can't play Russian roulette with German security”

Scholz also hopes to score points in the campaign with his dual strategy on the Ukraine war. On the one hand, he promised Ukraine to continue providing weapons, but at the same time he hoped to prevent NATO from getting involved in a war with Russia. That is why he refused to deliver the Taurus cruise missiles that Kyiv had long requested. “You cannot play Russian roulette with German security,” Scholz stressed. “You can count on me to remain firm and calm.”

Support rate in the last election was 25.7%

Scholz's candidacy for chancellor remains to be confirmed at the party congress on January 11. This is considered a formality. However, Scholz must be measured against the results in May 2021 – four months before the federal election. At that time, he was confirmed with 96.2% of the vote.

At that time, as today, support for the Social Democrats ranged from 14% to 16%. Only the perceived inappropriate laughter of federal chancellor candidate Armin Laschet in a flooded area brought about a change in the summer: the Social Democrats ended up being the strongest force with 25.7% of the vote.

Klingbeil: “We are a party catching up”

Party leader Lars Klingber called on the Social Democrats not to be influenced by opinion polls. “Don’t listen to the polls, don’t listen to the articles that are being written right now,” he said. “If the SPD can do something, it's fight. We are a party playing catch-up.”

Today, the Insa survey commissioned by Bild newspaper gives Scholz and the Social Democrats their first glimmer of hope. According to this, 22% of the German people will directly vote for Scholz to become prime minister, an increase of 7 percentage points from the week before the candidate was selected. Federal Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz is further ahead with 30% (minus 1), while Green Party chancellor candidate Robert Habeck slips to 16% (minus 2), Therefore, in Sunday's Bundestag question, the SPD remains in third place with 17 points. A few percentage points behind the EU (15% to 32%). (Sudan Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs/New Zealand National Alliance)

The Christmas market season is just getting into full swing. In Frankfurt am Main, the drink will be named something different this year.

In addition to the classic mulled wine, many people also enjoy a glass of cocoa at the Christmas markets. However, drinking chocolate made with rum alcohol is currently causing ill will on social networks. In the background is a document distributed to stall operators by the organizers of the Christmas market in Frankfurt am Main. The newspaper, which is available on t-online, said: “If you serve a drink that you describe as 'Lumumba', we strongly recommend that you change the name and make it unrecognizable on the menu card/drink card/signs.” make.”