German finance minister believes social democrats could appoint next chancellor

Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-05 23:32:33|Editor: yan
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BERLIN, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Germany's Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz told the magazine Stern on Wednesday that he believed there was a chance that the next chancellor would be appointed by his Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Despite the weak results the SPD suffered at the European elections and the resignation of party leader Andrea Nahles, Scholz said "the chance of becoming the strongest party in the next Bundestag election is much greater than in many years before."

For the first time since 1949, there would be a competition for the German chancellor's office in which no party will send a chancellor into the race. "If we do it well, then we have a chance," said Scholz, adding that "we must not make ourselves smaller than we are."

Since the SPD is planning a mid-term review of the coalition, Scholz argued that his party would be incentivized to govern well. For the coalition partner, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), this would be "a warning" not to weaken the SPD by inaction and inertia, Scholz said.

According to SPD Secretary General Lars Klingbeil, the mid-term review of Angela Merkel's coalition partner in government would analyse which goals had already been achieved and what is still to be achieved.

With a view to Germany's governing coalition, Scholz demanded to "ramp up" climate protection and the basic pension as well as the reduction of the solidarity surcharge which is transferring funds from the richer western parts of Germany to the eastern states.

Following the unexpected resignation of Andrea Nahles, the SPD which is temporarily led by a trio of the state premiers of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Rhineland-Palatinate as well as the Hessian SPD leader, announced a board meeting for June 24 in order to decide how the party will draw up the coalition's mid-term review.

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