Tag Archives: Olaf Scholz
German of the day: Schlagabtausch
That means an exchange of blows. Or a debate, if you prefer.

German Chancellor candidates clash on Trump, the far-right and NATO – In the first duel ahead of the February 23 election, Merz portrayed Scholz as a ditherer who had led Germany into economic crisis, while the Social Democrat presented himself as an experienced leader in command of the details…
Merz, far ahead in the polls and the favourite to become Germany’s next chancellor, expressed reluctance to raise taxes or borrow to reach the NATO alliance’s defence spending target of 2% of gross domestic product, far short of the 5% Trump is demanding.
German of the day: Mehrheit
That means majority.

Despite Scholz’s criticism (German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, SPD): majority of SPD voters support Merz’s asylum ban, according to poll – Scholz had protested vehemently against the CDU’s push for a turnaround on migration. A survey now shows that 66% of Germans support Merz – as do the majority of SPD voters.
German of the day: Vertrauensfrage
That means vote of confidence. Which of course means vote of lack of confidence in this case.

Who says Olaf and the SPD can’t bring in the votes?
Germany’s Scholz expected to lose confidence vote, triggering early election – Polls suggest that a February election would result in a rightward shift, at a moment when Europe’s largest economy is faltering.
“I have already spoken to the future US president at length on the phone…”
“And we are also in direct contact with his advisers on security policy.”

“Germany aims to align with Trump?” Has anybody told the Germans yet?
Germany aims to align with Trump to end ‘merciless’ Ukraine war – Chancellor Olaf Scholz ruled out supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles but stressed the country’s sovereignty should be guaranteed.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expects he’ll find alignment with president-elect Donald Trump on how to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, playing down concerns a shift in US leadership risks splitting Kyiv’s biggest backers.
Scholz hits the campaign trail in Kyiv
Soon to be fired as chancellor in the German Bundestag in order to run for chancellor and be fired by German voters a second time in the upcoming German election, Olaf Scholz is now doing the Staatsmann (statesman) number in Ukraine.

The visit comes weeks before the German leader is set to ask his parliament for a vote of no confidence, which he is widely expected to lose.
Germany’s Olaf Scholz arrived in Ukraine on Monday for his second trip to the region during his tenure as chancellor.
His visit comes both at a time of escalated Russian attacks on Ukraine and as his government faces a political crisis at home that looks likely to remove him from power during elections in February next year.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say…
Don’t choose between security and prosperity…
Because you won’t get either.

Scholz, fighting for survival, says Germans should not choose between security and prosperity – Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday appealed to parties to pass measures such as raising child benefits and lifting tax thresholds before a February snap election, stressing that Germans did not need to choose between security and prosperity.
Scholz was addressing parliament in political leaders’ first public head-to-head since the collapse of the chancellor’s ruling coalition last week forced the country into a snap election that will likely take place in February.
We don’t have enough paper…
For the ballots, you know?

So we can’t have that vote of confidence and early election you voters want. Even though our government doesn’t have a majority anymore and is more non-functioning than ever. Sorry, fellow citizens. It’s out of our hands.
Geez. These German SPD guys would make good Democrats.
Germany: Paper questions punctuate election date debate – As lawmakers jostle over the timing of a vote of confidence after Germany’s coalition collapse, preparations are already being made for a snap election. Officials have warned of logistical issues with ballot printing.
A vote of confidence now?
Why? Everybody loves me.

I’m at least as popular here as Nicolás Maduro is in Venezuela.
German opposition parties and business groups on Thursday urged Chancellor Olaf Scholz to trigger a new election quickly to minimize political uncertainty after his rocky three-way coalition collapsed…
The chancellor said he would hold a confidence vote in January, which he would probably lose, triggering a new election by the end of March — six months ahead of schedule.

