Official announcements from the German government or credible news outlets.

SPD Nominates Olaf Scholz for Chancellor in February 23 German Election, Aims to Close Poll Gap

Jan 11, 2025, 12:04 PM

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Germany has officially nominated Olaf Scholz as its candidate for chancellor in the upcoming federal election on February 23. The decision was made at the SPD's federal party conference in Berlin, where Scholz received overwhelming support, with only a few dissenting votes. Despite trailing in polls, with the SPD currently in third place at 16%, Scholz expressed confidence in the party's ability to close the gap with the leading Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) at 30% and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 21%. The Greens follow with 15%. Scholz's campaign focuses on maintaining and renewing the 'Made in Germany' brand for the benefit of ordinary citizens, promising tax relief for 95% of taxpayers and rejecting pension cuts. The SPD's 63-page election program also includes plans to increase the minimum wage, impose additional taxation on owners of property worth over 100 million euros, and invest in charging stations for electric vehicles, power and heating networks, and housing construction. Additionally, the party proposes a 'Made in Germany' bonus to incentivize investments in machinery and equipment.