Olaf Scholz: Germany's steady hand losing grip on power | National News | kpvi.com

Olaf Scholz said he planned to ask for a vote of confidence by January 15, clearing the way for early elections by the end of March -- six months earlier than scheduled

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been dubbed the "Scholzomat" for a dry personal style bordering on the robotic, but also hailed as a safe pair of hands leading a country that values stability.

But on Wednesday night, as political turmoil ended his fractious three-way coalition, order collapsed and power has started to slip from his grasp as likely new elections loom.

Scholz, after firing his finance minister in an angry row, said he planned to ask for a vote of confidence by January 15 so that MPs can decide whether to hold early elections by the end of March -- six months earlier than scheduled.

"When an emergency situation arises, action is mandatory," the centre-left leader said in his trademark calm delivery at a late night press conference.

Scholz, 66, the quietly ambitious grey man of German politics, will hope to prove wrong his growing band of critics, and poor poll ratings, to pull off another surprise victory, as he did in 2021 when he replaced Angela Merkel.

At the time Scholz benefited from disastrous own-goals by his political rivals that propelled him to the helm of a coalition government with the Greens and Free Democrats.

It was a stunning victory for the former mayor of Hamburg whom Der Spiegel magazine once labelled "the embodiment of boredom in politics".

Scholz, who had until then served as Merkel's finance minister in a left-right grand coalition, moved into her seat in a show of continuity that many voters found reassuring.

Known for restraint and reliability more than for soaring oratory, his oft-repeated promise to voters has simply been that "if you ask for leadership, you'll get it".

After an optimistic start, his government quickly weathered multiple major crises, from the Covid pandemic to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and a surge in energy prices that pummelled Europe's biggest economy.

Scholz made history with a speech that declared Russia's aggression an "epochal shift" and announced a massive rise in defence spending in a break with his party's pacifist tradition.

But in recent months, ever angrier squabbling between his governing allies, much of it centred on the flagging economy and how to carve up a tightening budget, has steadily diminished his authority.

In a recent poll for public broadcaster ZDF, only 28 percent of respondents said they considered Scholz a suitable candidate to be Germany's next chancellor.

Even within his SPD, some have suggested he follow the example of US President Joe Biden and make way for a more promising candidate, with popular Defence Minister Boris Pistorius seen as a strong contender.

Born in the western city of Osnabrueck and raised near Hamburg, Scholz had lofty ambitions even as a child, according to his father. "He told me when he was 12 that he wanted to be chancellor," Gerhard Scholz told the Bild daily.

Describing his son as a "know-it-all", the elder Scholz said his son was such a good student that "in Latin, the teacher could learn from him."

Scholz joined the SPD's youth movement in 1975 as a firebrand left-wing activist and was pictured at peace protests sporting wool sweaters and an unruly crop of long hair.

He became vice-president of the movement in the 1980s but failed to become its leader because he was considered too left-wing, though he later tempered his views to align with a more centrist course.

After training as a lawyer and founding his own Hamburg legal firm specialised in labour issues in 1985 -- now minus the hair -- Scholz was elected to the national parliament in 1998.

It was during his 2002-2004 stint as the SPD's general secretary that he earned the moniker "Scholzomat" for his dry yet tireless defence of the unpopular labour reforms of then-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Though not thrilled with the nickname, Scholz later admitted in an interview with Bunte magazine that "it was certainly not an entirely false description".

"I was always asked the same questions and I always gave the same answers," he said, adding that away from the cameras he "laughs more often than people think".

Scholz announced in July that he would be running for a second term as chancellor, noting that the SPD had won in 2021 "from a difficult starting position".

Scholz lives in Potsdam outside Berlin with his wife Britta Ernst, also an SPD politician. They have no children.

fec/fz/giv

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

Operation Green Light makes a return with Veterans Day on Monday. This project is a way to thank our Veterans for their service, and to bring awareness on what Veterans face. This encourages veterans and their families to know that there are resources available to them. Read moreOperation Green Light Takes Off Ahead of Veterans Day

Bannock County Planning and Development services met Wednesday evening. Read moreBannock County Planning and Development Moves Mining Operation Item to Future Meeting

Bannock County saw candidates of their own on Election Night. The Yellowstone Restaurant held a watch party on Tuesday to celebrate the election. Read moreYellowstone Restaurant Hosted Watch Party for Election

Snake River High School prepares to host a fundraiser with music. The goal of this fundraiser is to raise money to purchase chips for the Ronald McDonald House. Read moreSnake River High School Prepares for Upcoming Fundraiser

The 27th annual Southeast Idaho Homeless Stand-down event was held over the weekend. Read moreAnnual Southeast Idaho Homeless Stand-down Held Over the Weekend

Pocatello

Bannock County, ID

Pocatello

Pocatello

Pocatello, Idaho

Sunshine and dry conditions to end the work week with showers returning next Monday.

Spice is a female dog that is about 10-years-old Read moreSpice Debuts on Tail-Wagger Wednesday

Governor Brad Little recently visited the Gate City. Read moreGovernor Little Talks about General Election

The Wall of Warmth opens their warmth wall at Civitan Park for 7th year. The goal for this event, is to help those in need of warm clothing for the cold season. Read moreWall of Warmth Project Returns To Civitan Park

KPVI's newest East Idaho GMC Dealers Athlete of the Week is Kolter Lewis of the Ririe Bulldogs. Read moreAOTW Announcement: Kolter Lewis

Spice is a female dog that is about 10-years-old Read moreSpice Debuts on Tail-Wagger Wednesday

Governor Brad Little recently visited the Gate City. Read moreGovernor Little Talks about General Election

The Wall of Warmth opens their warmth wall at Civitan Park for 7th year. The goal for this event, is to help those in need of warm clothing for the cold season. Read moreWall of Warmth Project Returns To Civitan Park

KPVI's newest East Idaho GMC Dealers Athlete of the Week is Kolter Lewis of the Ririe Bulldogs. Read moreAOTW Announcement: Kolter Lewis

Log In

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,racist or sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don't Threaten. Threats of harming anotherperson will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyoneor anything.Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ismthat is degrading to another person.Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link oneach comment to let us know of abusive posts.Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitnessaccounts, the history behind an article.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday Beijing and Washington must find a way to "get along" in a message to US president-elect Donald Trump, state media reported. Read MoreUS and China must 'get along', Xi tells Trump

Chinese exports surged last month at their fastest pace in more than two years, data showed Thursday, easily topping forecasts and providing optimism about the economy as officials steel for a… Read MoreChina export growth beats expectations with October surge

Supporters of former Bolivian president Evo Morales, who have been blocking roads in the center of the country for three weeks in a standoff with the government, on Wednesday announced a 72-ho… Read MoreBolivia demonstrators announce 72-hour suspension of blockades

Germany enters a period of political uncertainty Thursday after its fragile three-party ruling coalition collapsed on the same day Donald Trump won the US election. Read MoreUncertainty looms for Germany after Scholz coalition collapses

Australia's prime minister on Thursday vowed to ban children under 16 from social media, saying the pervasive influence of platforms like Facebook and TikTok was "doing real harm to our kids". Read MoreAustralia moves to ban children under 16 from social media

Israel launched fresh strikes on south Beirut early Thursday, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president-elect Donald Trump spoke about the "Iranian threat". Read MoreIsrael strikes Lebanon after discussing 'Iranian threat' with Trump

Hurricane Rafael knocked out power to all of Cuba on Wednesday as it slammed through the cash-strapped island, which was still reeling from a recent blackout and a previous deadly storm. Read MoreHurricane Rafael triggers nationwide blackout in Cuba

Ireland meet New Zealand on Friday at Lansdowne Road in a rematch of last year's epic Rugby World Cup quarter-final which dashed Irish dreams of lifting the trophy. Read MoreIrish face All Blacks in rematch of World Cup thriller

In his stone house perched on a hill in northern Ethiopia, Amanuel Hiluf puts on his protective suit, carefully adjusting the hood and gloves. Read MoreEthiopia's famed honeybees make slow recovery from war

European leaders converge on Budapest Thursday for two days of high-level talks that will seek to rise to the challenges posed by Donald Trump's return to the White House -- but also risk expo… Read MoreEurope seeks footing as Trump storms back to power

Donald Trump's crushing presidential victory heralded a new era of uncertainty in the United States and the world Wednesday, as defeated Kamala Harris gave a defiant concession speech while vo… Read MoreHarris gives defiant concession after stunning Trump win

He grooved onstage to the Village People, Elvis and Pavarotti, but one omission from Donald Trump's campaign soundtrack could have defined his extraordinary third bid for the White House -- Fr… Read MoreTrump goes his own way in historic election campaign

WATCH NOW

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

Would you like to receive our Morning Headlines? Signup today!