German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that he will step away from politics once his time in office ends. Speaking on the Jung & Naiv video podcast on Friday, Scholz signaled that despite a federal election slated for next week, his focus remains on his current role rather than future ambitions.
Recent polls indicate his party, the Social Democrats (SPD), is trailing behind the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of the February 23 vote. Scholz has faced criticism from within his own government for his cautious stance on military aid to Ukraine.
“My Plan A is to be re-elected as chancellor,” Scholz stated. However, asked whether his current position would be his last political role, he responded affirmatively, saying, “Yes, I think that will stop later. From my point of view, it’s not like something else is yet to come.”
The chancellor’s coalition collapsed in November 2024, necessitating a new parliamentary election. Some media outlets reported debates within the SPD about replacing Scholz with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, but Pistorius declined, stating that Scholz was “the right candidate for chancellor.”
During his nomination speech, Scholz highlighted peace, economic recovery, and tackling the cost-of-living crisis as his priorities. He has served as chancellor since 2021, and previously held the posts of finance minister and vice chancellor.
Reflecting on his years of public service, he remarked, “I had the honor to do something for my country for many years, and I hope I can do that for a long time. But after that, the time as a normal citizen has come again.”
Securing another term appears challenging. The latest ARD Deutschlandtrend poll shows the conservative CDU and its Bavarian counterpart, the CSU, in a strong lead under CDU leader Friedrich Merz. Scholz’s SPD is projected to lose significant support, while the right-wing AfD is expected to double its vote share.
Scholz also addressed the topic of leadership, stating that while the role is demanding, he does not find it isolating. “I don’t think it’s that lonely. I have a lot of people I can talk to. But you should know, if you want to hold such an office, that it really comes down to you and that you make the decisions yourself,” he said.
A trained lawyer, Scholz made it clear that he does not intend to return to legal practice. “I’m still a lawyer, as far as the application is concerned, but it’s also exciting what I’ve been doing since 1998,” he explained, reaffirming that his political career would end after his chancellorship.
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