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Olaf Scholz
Photo: Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Olaf Scholz will become the new Chancellor during a violent phase of the pandemic, and his election as the successor to Angela Merkel is planned for next week.
There is criticism that his traffic light coalition is acting too hesitantly with regard to corona policy (read more here), and that the transition from the outgoing to the incoming government is not acted quickly and not decisively enough.
But the SPD politician sees it differently.
"There is no power vacuum that some people are talking about now," Scholz told Die Zeit. Rather, he is working with the outgoing Chancellor "very closely and very trustingly." In addition to praise for Angela Merkel, there was also criticism of a member of the executive government. In the interview, Scholz distanced himself from the remark by Health Minister Jens Spahn that all Germans will have recovered, vaccinated or died by the end of winter. "That's a cynical phrase that I don't want to adopt," says Scholz.
In the interview, however, he also announced a new style of government.
"I will carefully advance joint action through many discussions," he said.
To do this, for example, he would let the cabinet meetings begin later "in order to have space beforehand for a discussion outside of the agenda."
When the occasion arises, he will also »always address the citizens directly«.
"It should be about doing, not about the show"
"It should be about doing, not about the show," Scholz is quoted as saying.
He named the rapid and extensive expansion of renewable energies as the central task of his government in order to be able to align industry and business to climate neutrality.
"There can be no failure here - and there will be no failure," said Scholz.
as / AFP