Green party's Habeck to run for chancellor amid political shift
The Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs of Germany, Robert Habeck, intends to announce his candidacy for Chancellor as the representative of the Green Party on Friday, according to German media reports. The opposition is advocating for a considerably earlier date in anticipation of possible early parliamentary elections.
From Vice Chancellor to Chancellor candidate: Federal Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck will today declare his candidacy for Chancellor, reported the "Spiegel" magazine's website, citing sources within the Green Party. This decision by the minister was also covered by ARD television and the "Bild" newspaper, amongst others.
Changes are coming in the German government
In the last Bundestag elections in 2021, Habeck stepped aside in favour of Annalena Baerbock. In July this year, Baerbock stated in an interview with CNN that she does not intend to run for Chancellor again. Many party members then perceived an opportunity for Habeck, although he remained discreet on the matter throughout the summer, as noted by "Spiegel".
The magazine remarked that with the collapse of the coalition between the SPD, Green Party, and FDP in Berlin, the election campaign has commenced. Without the FDP in the coalition, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Greens no longer command a majority in parliament. Scholz himself is planning a vote of confidence as a preliminary step towards possible early elections in January. The opposition is advocating for a much earlier date.
Opposition does not want to wait
The opposition leader and CDU/CSU Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz reiterated his call for Scholz not to delay until January to announce the vote of confidence in the Bundestag. "We need a swift path to new elections now," he stated on Friday in Berlin.
Merz believes next Wednesday, after the Chancellor's scheduled government statement, is the right time for a vote of confidence. "It is important that we now very quickly put responsibility for the composition of the German Bundestag back into the hands of the voters," argued the head of CDU/CSU.
The three-party coalition of SPD, Greens, and FDP, which has been governing Germany since 2021, disbanded on Wednesday when Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the resignation of Finance Minister Lindner of the FDP due to disagreements over economic and budgetary policies. Earlier, during a meeting of coalition party leaders on Wednesday, Lindner suggested new elections to the Bundestag.
