Want to save Scholz – to avoid an even worse liberal

Published 22 November 2024 at 15.02

Foreign. In an unexpected twist, some members of the right-wing nationalist party Alternative for Germany (AFD) are now considering supporting Germany's current Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an upcoming vote of no confidence.

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One of these AFD politicians in the Bundestag is Jürgen Pohl, who in a post on Telegram explains that Christian Democratic leader Friedrich Merz is an even worse option than Scholz:

“I want to say clearly and officially that under no circumstances do I want to see Mr. Merz in a position of responsibility… I must and will therefore vote for Scholz in the vote of confidence, for Scholz it's the lesser evil.”

CDU leader Friedrich Merz is believed to win the next election and form a government, probably in coalition with the Greens or the social democratic SPD.

But for some AFD members, like Christina Baum, Merz is a bigger threat than Scholz – especially because of his more hard-line stance on the Ukraine war.

– A vote for Scholz is definitely worth considering, says Baum in an interview with Politico.

The AFD, which generally favors peace talks and a ceasefire in Ukraine, has stronger support for these positions in the former East Germany than in the western part of the country.

However, the party's leadership is against such tactics to avoid Merz. Alice Weidel's spokesperson emphasized that the party has long demanded new elections and therefore will not express its confidence in Scholz.

With or without the support of some AFD members, Scholz's days as chancellor appear to be numbered. Enough members of the ruling coalition have signaled they will vote against him, opening the door to new elections.