The German Social Democratic Party, SPDofficially announced that the Olaf Solz will run for chancellor on elections on February 23, 2025.

Last Thursday night, the Social Democrat Defense Minister Boris Pistorius gave up on a possible chancellor run: “Dear comrades, dear comrades, dear girlfriends and dear friends. I informed the leadership of the party and the heads of K.O. that I am not available for a candidacy for the office of chancellor. It is a personal decision that I made completely alone. I said it in the previous weeks and I say it again today with all clarity: With Olaf Solz we have an excellent chancellor”.

With this message, he put an end to the scenarios of replacing Olaf Solz as chancellor candidate for the Social Democrats.

And this despite the fact that according to the latest poll by the public television ARD, 60% of respondents believe that Boris Pistorius would be the best chancellor.

Just 21% consider Olaf Solz more suitable, while the head of the Christian Democrats, Friedrich Merz, follows Pistorius in second place with 41%.

The key dates on the way to the German elections:

  • Chancellor Olaf Solz will ask for a vote of confidence in the Bundestag on December 16. If it does not win the vote, as expected, then the governing coalition now does not have a parliamentary majority.
  • Two days later (18 December) the Bundestag votes on the vote of confidence.
  • The Chancellor loses the vote of confidence and asks Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to dissolve the Bundestag, based on Article 68 of the German Constitution.
  • Steinmeier then dissolves the Bundestag 21 days later. The Constitution does not compel him to do so.
  • If the president dissolves the Bundestag, he will simultaneously set a date for elections. This must be done within 60 days of the dissolution of the Bundestag, according to Article 39 of the constitution. German presidents usually follow the government’s recommendation for an election date.
  • The elections are expected to take place on Sunday, February 23. German parliamentary elections are always held on a Sunday.