Following electoral triumphs for the far-right, Germany’s political atmosphere is heating up, paralleling the scorching climate of 30 degrees that met Olaf Scholz at a community gathering in Berlin last Wednesday. Currently, the 66-year-old Chancellor of Germany from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is facing an unprecedented low in popularity as he approaches re-election next year. A recent study revealed that merely 23% of the German population supports his return for a subsequent term.
His trilateral coalition with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats is equally disliked. One educator at the community gathering contrasted Scholz’s cabinet with “a group of children who all have differing opinions.” In an unexpected response, the chancellor concurred, acknowledging the criticism and admitting to the lack of a clear solution.
Concerns won’t be alleviated by his response, or the uneasy chuckles it evoked during the gathering. After his three-year tenure, Scholz’s political sphere appears to be unique to him alone. Following the poor SPD results over the weekend, 6% and 7% in Thuringia and Saxony state elections respectively, he claimed that they are “worth fighting for,” leading to disappointment within the party ranks.
His sentiments were echoed by another high-ranking official who insisted that there is still public demand for their political methodologies. Such remarks have led SPD backbenchers to dismiss the party leadership’s consistent optimism despite their deteriorating electoral performance. Katrin Lange, a politician from Brandenburg SPD, made headlines when she suggested that the SPD would fare better if certain individuals refrained from appearing on chat shows, referring to it as ‘unbearable.’
Meanwhile, the Brandenburg SPD candidates are especially apprehensive, with anticipation of another electoral defeat in the upcoming state election on September 22nd. Current polls show SPD trailing at 20% in Brandenburg, four points behind the far-right, Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Scholz has cautioned Germany not to become accustomed to electoral triumphs of the far-right, following a ‘disheartening’ setback. Despite residing in Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, Scholz’s political credibility is such that he’s deemed undesirable at local electoral programs. Potential repercussions could arise from the SPD’s weak performance in Brandenburg, where it has held governance since 1990, and this might incite political tremors in the adjacent Berlin. There is escalating conjecture that, in those circumstances, the party might request Scholz, who is chancellor but not the party chair, to bring forward a confidence motion in the Bundestag to quell critics within his coalition and the opposition.
Currently, Scholz is enduring some heat as, intriguingly, the pivotal issues in the triad of eastern state elections reflect federal level concerns: immigration, asylum, arms shipments to Ukraine and associated security anxieties. The recent Islamist incursions, in Solingen and Munich, have led to mounting pressure on Scholz’s coalition from the opposing Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Having gained significant victories in the previous state elections, CDU front runner, Friedrich Merz, aims to replicate the feat in Brandenburg. He has dictated that the coalition come up with a binding plan by next Tuesday to halt the unrestricted influx at the borders.
The SPD-led interior ministry in Berlin has vowed to exhaust all legal means to tighten immigration and asylum regulations by the upcoming Tuesday. However, reaching a consensus within the government seems doubtful. The FDP is calling for an extensive review and more stringent migration policies whilst the Greens are advocating for a distinction between asylum claimants and Islamist extremists. Annalena Baerbock, the Green foreign minister, stated that terror cannot be combated with hysteria.
Meanwhile, at a public gathering in Berlin, amid increasing opposition in the eastern regions to the German arms provisions for Ukraine, the chancellor pledged to adhere to his judicious approach. He expressed concern over the growing support for populism, stating that it’s incumbent upon everyone to find a way to address it. He stated his commitment to doing so as chancellor.