German election

Scholz announces renewed candidacy for chancellor

(Bild: AFP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that he will run for chancellor again. "I will run to become chancellor again," said the SPD politician at the traditional summer press conference of German heads of government in Berlin. The next federal election is regularly due in the fall of 2025.

The SPD is a very united party, he said. "We are all determined to go into the next federal election campaign together and win."

No role model Biden
Scholz had previously been asked whether he wanted to follow the example of US President Joe Biden, who had announced his decision not to run for president again. "Thank you for the extremely nice and friendly question," Scholz said pointedly in response.

At the same time as Scholz's statements, the German cabinet decided on a recommendation that the next general election should take place on September 28, 2025. The final decision in Germany is made by the Federal President, but he usually follows the government's recommendation.

Debates about the election date
According to the Federal Election Act, election day must always be a Sunday or a public holiday. There are fixed requirements for the date. According to Article 39 (1) of the Basic Law, the election must take place no earlier than 46 and no later than 48 months after the start of the legislative period.

There had previously been debates about the date, particularly in Berlin, because the Berlin Marathon was actually due to take place again on September 28, 2025. However, the sporting event is now to be brought forward by a week to September 21.