Olaf Scholz's hopes of being re-elected as German chancellor is under threat as calls for his withdrawal intensify. Infighting within the SPD and dwindling popularity among the German people have contributed to the unprecedented move.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing growing calls within his Social Democrats Party (SPD) to step aside and allow his Defence Minister Boris Pistorius to lead the party into next year’s election. He says he wants to run for a second term next year.
Scholz's snap election announcement was backed by SPD leaders this week despite the party languishing in third place behind the opposition conservatives and far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) on around 16%, down 10 points since the 2021 election.
A survey of SPD supporters by pollster Forsa confirmed Scholz’s dwindling popularity within the supporters, with 58% of the voters backing Pistorius as chancellor candidate compared to just 30% for Scholz. However, the final decision is likely to be announced at a party congress in January.
Lesser-known, regional politicians have called for a rethink in what would be an unprecedented move - akin to that of the U.S. Democrats in July in persuading President Joe Biden to drop his re-election bid.
Critics say Scholz lack of leadership resulting in messy, belated compromises, as well as communication skills required to reassure the population, particularly in challenging times, have all contributed to infighting within the coalition. They say it has not helped the party’s nor Scholz’s ambitions as next year’s elections draw nearer.
"Scholz has made good policies over the past three years, but he has not managed to win people over and communicate leadership," two state lawmakers in Hamburg, where Scholz was mayor from 2011-2018, said in a post on Instagram.
Germany is set to hold a snap election on 23 February after Scholz's three-way coalition of SPD, the Greens and neoliberal Free Democrats Party (FDP) collapsed last week following months of infighting.
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Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran will continue to defend itself unless Israeli strikes stop, following high-level talks in Geneva with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany, and the European Union’s top diplomat.
Tajikistan and China have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group on Artificial Intelligence, following high-level talks between President Emomali Rahmon and President Xi Jinping in Astana earlier this week.
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China’s exports of rare earth magnets dropped sharply in May, plunging 52.9% from April to just 1,238 metric tons, their lowest monthly level since February 2020. The drop comes amid tightened export controls and growing customs scrutiny.
President Donald Trump says the U.S. is unlikely to push Israel to end its airstrikes on Iran, calling it “very hard” to make that request while Israel is gaining ground militarily.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran will continue to defend itself unless Israeli strikes stop, following high-level talks in Geneva with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany, and the European Union’s top diplomat.
Tajikistan and China have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group on Artificial Intelligence, following high-level talks between President Emomali Rahmon and President Xi Jinping in Astana earlier this week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin used the platform of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to reinforce his vision of Ukraine as a neutral state aligned with Russia, warn of rising global conflict potential, and outline conditions for foreign firms to return to Russia.
The Kremlin said on Friday it could not predict whether Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump would meet in person this year, citing the increasingly unpredictable nature of global affairs.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
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Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
President Donald Trump says the U.S. is unlikely to push Israel to end its airstrikes on Iran, calling it “very hard” to make that request while Israel is gaining ground militarily.
Tajikistan and China have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group on Artificial Intelligence, following high-level talks between President Emomali Rahmon and President Xi Jinping in Astana earlier this week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin used the platform of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to reinforce his vision of Ukraine as a neutral state aligned with Russia, warn of rising global conflict potential, and outline conditions for foreign firms to return to Russia.
Switzerland has announced the lifting of a wide array of economic sanctions on Syria, including measures targeting the country’s central bank. The move follows a series of international steps aimed at supporting Syria’s recovery after the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
The Kremlin said on Friday it could not predict whether Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump would meet in person this year, citing the increasingly unpredictable nature of global affairs.
President Donald Trump says the U.S. is unlikely to push Israel to end its airstrikes on Iran, calling it “very hard” to make that request while Israel is gaining ground militarily.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran will continue to defend itself unless Israeli strikes stop, following high-level talks in Geneva with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany, and the European Union’s top diplomat.
Tajikistan and China have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group on Artificial Intelligence, following high-level talks between President Emomali Rahmon and President Xi Jinping in Astana earlier this week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin used the platform of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to reinforce his vision of Ukraine as a neutral state aligned with Russia, warn of rising global conflict potential, and outline conditions for foreign firms to return to Russia.
The Kremlin said on Friday it could not predict whether Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump would meet in person this year, citing the increasingly unpredictable nature of global affairs.
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