About: Olaf Scholz
Germany’s likely new coalition wants more EU sovereignty, fossil car ban
Leaders of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the business-friendly FDP have reached a preliminary agreement including plans to end the internal combustion engine and take an assertive stance on the rule of law in the EU.
German SPD’s Scholz moves closer to succeeding Merkel as chancellor
German centre-left Social Democrat's (SPD) Olaf Scholz, took a major step towards succeeding Angela Merkel as chancellor on Friday (15 October), announcing that he and the leaders of two smaller parties aimed to move into formal coalition talks.
German small parties pick Social Democrats over conservatives for coalition talks
Germany’s Greens and the liberal FDP, two kingmakers after the inconclusive federal election, have announced they want to launch talks about a potential coalition with the Social Democrat SPD, rather than with outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU. The first discussions are planned for Thursday (7 October).
After ‘Mercron’: What German elections could mean for the Franco-German tandem
With the Merkel era coming to an end, both the Franco-German relationship and the tandem’s role in the EU are at a watershed. For the moment, however, France seems to be holding its breath.
EU parliament chief congratulates Scholz as German election winner
The head of the European Parliament congratulated Olaf Scholz, the chancellor candidate for Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) as winner after a narrow election victory, the first official European Union reaction to the vote result.
Greens and Liberals hold key to form next German government
Following Sunday's federal election, the most likely outcome for the new German Bundestag is one of two coalitions: a Social Democrat-led 'traffic light'-coalition or a Conservative-led 'Jamaica'-coalition. Both camps will now try to win over kingmakers, the Greens and Liberals, to secure a stable majority.
Parties start election poker in Germany as SPD clinches narrow win
Germany's Social Democrats clinched a narrow victory over Chancellor Angela Merkel's Conservatives in Sunday's federal election, but leaders of both parties quickly claimed their right to try to build a coalition government.
Shakeup in Berlin – German 2021 elections
The upcoming German federal elections are already dubbed 'historic': Veteran Chancellor Angela Merkel will step down after 16 years in office while her conservative CDU/CSU union is polling at historic lows and trailing the Social Democrats, who are in pole position ahead of the 26 September vote.
Scholz labelled ‘finance minister of scandals’ by MPs ahead of German elections
Finance minister and chancellor hopeful Olaf Scholz was questioned by Bundestag MPs on Monday (20. September) about investigations against his ministry’s anti-money laundering unit. His party, the SPD, deemed the hearing pure campaign tactics.
Scholz and Baerbock close ranks in final German election debate
During Germany’s third and final televised election debate, Social Democrat candidate Olaf Scholz and the Greens’ Annalena Baerbock stood together against conservative candidate Armin Laschet on most issues. EU policy, meanwhile, was again sidelined from the debate.
Armin Laschet: Merkel’s heir apparent?
Angela Merkel has governed Germany for 16 years and proven a reliable ally both in Europe and for the world. Will her party colleague hoping to succeed her follow in her footsteps or diverge from her path in order to forge his own legacy?
Germany’s stance on workers’ representation set for major change
As the German elections near, the EU is simultaneously gearing up for the fight over the revision of the dated Works Council Directive. Germany has always been a pioneer of worker’s co-determination, where will its next government stand?
Scholz seen as winner from Germany’s second TV election debate
Conservative candidate Armin Laschet, from the ruling CDU/CSU coalition, sought to make up for lost ground in opinion polls by attacking his socialist rival Olaf Scholz during Germany’s second televised election debate.
Macron stirs German campaign with pre-poll invites to Scholz, Laschet
By hosting two contenders to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor this week, President Emmanuel Macron has shown how anxiously France is eyeing the outcome of Germany's election and its effect on a partnership crucial to Europe's future.
Scholz: A conservative social-democrat and unexpected frontrunner in Germany
Olaf Scholz, the Social Democrats’ pick for chancellor in Germany’s federal elections, has gone from underdog to frontrunner, pitching himself as a genuine heir to the outgoing chancellor, conservative Angela Merkel. EURACTIV takes a look at his priorities and what they could mean for the EU.
Boosted by surge in polls, Germany’s Scholz bets on coalition with Greens
Germany's centre-left chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz wants to lead Europe's largest economy in a coalition government with the left-leaning Greens, though polls suggest he would need the support of a third party to reach a stable majority in parliament.
German think-tanks ring climate alarm as candidates squabble over minutiae
Five million Germans watched their future Chancellor debate environmental issues on Sunday (29 August), amid calls from prominent think-tanks who highlighted Germany’s legal obligation to cut emissions 65% by 2030.
Coal exit debate haunts German parties ahead of election
With the German elections less than a month away, the country’s agreed 2038 coal exit looks increasingly untenable. Yet, with voters increasingly concerned about the climate, leaders' past policy choices are coming back to haunt them.
First German election debate reveals divisions on climate policy
Only four weeks ahead of the German election, the three lead candidates met on Sunday (30 August) to debate the future of Europe’s biggest economy. While the most contested issue was climate policy, there was one topic in the debate that was almost missing completely from the agenda: the European Union.
German election 2021: Key numbers, forecasts and projections
In Europe's key election this year, Germany chooses a new parliament - and Angela Merkel's successor - on 26 September. Who will get to lead the continent's biggest economy? Will the Greens with Annalena Baerbock have the edge over Armin Laschet's conservative CDU/CSU? Or will the Social Democrat SPD be the dark horse of these polls?
Eurogroup fails to agree on a calendar to complete banking union
Eurozone finance ministers (Eurogroup) failed to agree on Thursday (17 June) on a calendar to complete the banking union with a common deposit insurance scheme, as Germany continued to oppose any progress unless member states address other issues, including bank exposure to sovereign debt.
Germany’s Scholz proposes ‘climate club’ to avoid trade friction
Germany wants the European Union to create a "climate club" with other countries like the United States, Japan and possibly even China to avoid trade friction linked to green tariffs such as a planned carbon border levy.
Would-be German leaders agree EU unanimity is overrated
The three candidates vying to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel have squared up for their first public debate ahead of September’s election, presenting varying positions on the EU, defence policy and the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The three would-be...