Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) has chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) in the harsh criticism of ex-Union leader Friedrich Merz in protection. The CDU politician had the appearance of the federal government referred to as "bad-wicked" and especially Merkel as underachieving and inactive attacked.
Vice Chancellor Scholz called this in the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" now as "inappropriate" to Merkel. "And it does not speak for somebody just fiddling without facts."
Shortly before Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) had jumped the Chancellor's side: It was very obvious, "that this is more about settling old bills," said the advisory member of the CDU presidium in an interview ZDF. "I have little understanding." The demand for an early end to Merkel's term was described by Günther as "a debate led by older men who may not have reached their career goals in their lives".
Scholz does not want another grand coalition
Scholz was asked in the newspaper interview also after the current personnel debate in the Union - he did not want to rate it. "We were very pleased that the Union has not interfered in our internal affairs," he said. "We will pay back with fair coin."
With regard to his own party and the upcoming party congress in December, the candidate for the SPD presidency emphasized: "In just over four weeks, the leadership issue in the SPD has been clarified." In the race for the party presidency two duos are left: the GroKo advocates Olaf Scholz and Klara Geywitz against the GroKo skeptics Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken (read more here).
Scholz answered in the affirmative whether his promise was that he would not again lead his party into a coalition with the Union. "Germany needs a government without CDU and CSU," said Scholz. "You notice how the Union lies like mildew over the Republic." If the SPD hold together and go straight back into the square, "we have every chance in the league".
