The leader of the German Chancellor’s Office, Wolfgang Schmidt, has observed a sense of discontent among voters regarding the party’s personnel offerings for the Bundestag election. “Of course, many are asking, ‘Who should I vote for, really?'” Schmidt told Politico. He noted that many people are “not satisfied with the overall situation and are wavering because they somehow feel, ‘Well, I don’t really find any of them that convincing’.” Schmidt declined to “opt for the lesser evil” and instead recommended considering “who has the experience of leading a country in a difficult time and who also has the impulse control not to just make a decision on a whim.” He pointed out that Friedrich Merz, a rival candidate, has no experience in government.
Schmidt is running for a Bundestag seat in Hamburg this time around. Looking back on the Social Democratic Party’s (SPD) time in government with Olaf Scholz, Schmidt acknowledged some missed opportunities. “Perhaps what was natural for him in the end wasn’t quite right and people expect strong leadership, not just a show of force” he said. The majority of people, however, would not react positively to public reprimands and orders, which could have further complicated the processes within the coalition.
Schmidt expressed regret over the end of the coalition, but also a sense of liberation. He refuted reports that the SPD’s leadership had attempted to persuade Scholz to give up his bid for the chancellorship, saying that the discussions had been very collaborative and the decision was made by all involved parties.