German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has announced his withdrawal from the race. “I will not be the negotiation leader of the SPD, for example, in talks with the SPD and the Union” Scholz said in the “Elefantenrunde” on ARD and ZDF on Sunday evening.
The Chancellor further stated, “I said I am running for the office of the Federal Chancellor and that is the office for which I have put myself forward everywhere.” He will not be the representative of the SPD in a government led by the CDU.
According to the high estimates of ARD and ZDF, the SPD stands at 16.4% as of 9 pm. The CDU/CSU are leading with 28.5% and the AfD is seen as the second-strongest force with an estimated 20.4%. The Left Party is predicted to win 8.7% of the vote and the BSW is seen as struggling, with estimates ranging from 4.9% in the ARD to 5.0% in the ZDF. The FDP is predicted to fall short of the 5% threshold, with estimates ranging from 4.7 to 4.8%.