SPD Chair Saskia Esken Defends Decision to Back Olaf Scholz as Chancellor Candidate
In an interview with RTL and ntv’s “Frühstart” program, Saskia Esken, the chair of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), has defended her decision to support Olaf Scholz as the party’s chancellor candidate in the upcoming federal election. Esken reiterated that the choice was made in November and that Scholz was the natural candidate due to his experience as the current federal chancellor.
She rejected rumors that parts of the SPD leadership had attempted to persuade Scholz to step down, stating that her opinion on the matter had been clear from the beginning. According to Esken, Scholz’s extensive experience, both nationally and internationally, makes him the ideal candidate for the position.
In a separate statement, Esken described her opponent, Friedrich Merz, as a “practitioner” and emphasized the importance of real-world experience in government. She pointed out that Merz, a long-time politician, has never had a day of government experience and that this lack of experience would be a significant disadvantage in the current challenging situation facing Germany.