Berlin, Germany – Following the historically weak performance of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the federal election, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has taken responsibility for the party’s poor showing.
Speaking at the Willy-Brandt-Haus on Sunday evening, Scholz described the election result as a “bitter outcome for the Social Democratic Party.” He stated, “The last time the election result was better and I was also responsible for that. This time the result is bad and therefore I am also responsible for this result.”
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, has a clear task, according to Scholz, which is to form the next government. The Chancellor also expressed shock at the strong performance of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). “This must never be something we will accept” he said.
Meanwhile, AfD chairwoman Alice Weidel made a prediction that her party will be the strongest force in the next election. “The CDU will not be able to overtake us again” Weidel told RTL and ntv, adding, “We will not have to wait four more years, we will overtake the CDU. Because the CDU betrays its voters, dismisses us and only makes left-wing policies.”
According to preliminary estimates by the public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, the CDU has emerged as the clear strongest force in the election, with an average of 28.8 percent of the vote. The SPD, with 16.3 percent, is in third place, behind the AfD, which received an estimated 19.7 percent of the vote.