Only a few days ago Norbert Walter Borjans, candidate for the post of SPD chief, advised in a SPIEGEL debate of his party from setting up a chancellor candidate. Now he has mitigated this demand.
If it becomes clear before the next general election that the SPD can lead a government, "we will of course say who is to become chancellor," said Walter Borjans the newspapers of the spark media group. The former Minister of Finance of North Rhine-Westphalia also kept open himself as a top candidate.
Walter-Borjans had told the "SPIEGEL" a few days ago that he did not believe that the SPD was currently in a position to "establish a chancellor candidate". Opposite the newspapers of the spark media group stressed the candidate for the party chairmanship now, first he wanted to win back confidence for the SPD, "a clear program designate and so to regain strength." If this succeeds, "of course we want to run the government," said Walter-Borjans.
The current SPD poll rating of below 15 percent called Walter Borjans "dramatically too low and not worthy of social democracy." People would "look puzzled if we simply nominate a chancellor candidate," he said.
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Walter Borjans and his party chairwoman, Saskia Esken, also stressed that they were confident in better election results. "If we both become chairmen, I'm pretty sure the SPD is getting better poll numbers relatively quickly and we can make a change in sentiment," said Walter-Borjans. Esken said that there is a "good 35 percent potential" for Social Democracy among the population.
Both candidates had their own chancellor candidature open. Walter Borjans stressed that he made "no waiver" from. "Who says no here unnecessarily loses leadership authority." Esken said that if one aspires to chair the SPD, one must "expect that more tasks will come to one".
When asked if it would be conceivable that the candidate duo Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who also runs for the party presidency, or Family Minister Franziska Giffey would give the lead, Walter Borjans said "theoretically yes". There are "a lot of people" who would be eligible for a candidate for chancellor.
Laschet does not completely exclude Chancellor candidate
The CDU chairman, Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, is also debating the chancellor's candidate for the polls. North Rhine-Westphalia's prime minister Armin Laschet (CDU) does not exclude a chancellor candidate for himself categorically.
When asked whether the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister and head of the largest national association is not always a born chancellor candidate, Laschet said the "Tagesspiegel", Johannes Rau once said. "You should only contradict Johannes Rau, if it is absolutely necessary." Rau was state chairman of the SPD in North Rhine -Westphalia and defeated in the general election in 1987 as SPD chancellor candidate Helmut Kohl (CDU).
"Seriously though, the question does not arise at the moment and will be decided when it's up," Laschet added. He does not expect a majority at the federal party congress in just under two weeks for a primary election of the next CDU / CSU candidate for chancellor.
Watch the video here, in which the remaining SPD duos compete for the first time.
