Olaf Scholz confirmed as candidate for chancellor

The SPD special party conference in Berlin has the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz officially named candidate for chancellor for the federal election on February 23rd. With a show of hands, an overwhelming majority of delegates voted for the 66-year-old.

In his speech, Scholz vowed that the party would win the election in February. He has already stood for election as mayor of Hamburg twice in one February and won twice. “That’s encouraging at this time,” emphasized Scholz. “So we fight,” he ended his 50-minute speech to the delegates, which was met with standing, sustained applause.

Germany at a crossroads

In his speech, Scholz stated Germany at a “crossroads”. And if we take a wrong turn, “then we will wake up the next morning in a different country, that shouldn’t happen,” warned Scholz. It’s now about fair wages and stable pensions for “the normal people” who are Germany’s top performers, said Scholz.

The upcoming election is a fundamental decision for Germany.

Scholz: Kickl is an “extreme right-winger”

Scholz also attacked the formation of a government in Austria at the special party conference. About the possible new chancellor Herbert Kickl of the FPÖ, Scholz says: “He is, there is no other way to put it, an extreme right-winger.”

The Austrian case shows: “It is serious.” The fact that a right-winger in the neighboring country is now likely to become head of government is something we cannot simply accept, warned Scholz.

In the afternoon, discussion and voting on the election program will be on the agenda at the party conference. The focus is on additional investments for the economy and infrastructure as well as social justice. The tax burden should decrease for 95 percent of citizens in Germany.

The SPD is hoping to catch up until the election. The CDU/CSU is currently leading the polls with its candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz clearly in front.