2024-09-23 06:21:15
Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter calls on the SPD to make Boris Pistorius its candidate for chancellor. He says of a fellow party member: “She must no longer be at the head of the SPD.”
Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter is the first prominent SPD local politician to question Olaf Scholz’s continued candidacy for chancellor and suggests that he should step aside in favor of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. “Of course, Germany’s most popular politician is a possible candidate for chancellor for the SPD,” Reiter told the “Tagesspiegel”.
“If someone like Boris Pistorius has such a reputation, the SPD must also think about whether he is the best choice for the candidacy for chancellor or whether to go into the race with the incumbent chancellor.” Of course, this question is “not trivial,” Reiter continued: “In the end, the question lies with none other than Olaf Scholz himself. And the initiative would then have to come from Olaf Scholz himself.”
Boris Pistorius is by far the most popular politician because “he decides, he explains, he has clear messages, he talks to the troops,” said Reiter. “He says what he thinks and he fights.” This makes Pistorius “authentic.” With him, people know what he wants. “Boris Pistorius shows what a difference clear, understandable language makes,” said Reiter. Many people struggle with Pistorius’ statement that Germany must become “war-ready.” “I also find it difficult,” said Reiter. “But he just says what he believes in. That’s what people want.”
Reiter called on Chancellor Scholz to intensify his communication and focus on his topics. He still has every opportunity to do so. “People look to the Chancellor, they want leadership,” said Reiter. People want “a Chancellor who talks to them, who understands them, who knows what moves them, who is present.”
The SPD’s situation is “serious but not hopeless,” said Reiter, who has governed Munich since 2014. The latest election results and nationwide polls show “that the SPD is currently far from its claim to government from 2025.” Chancellor Scholz has to make extremely difficult decisions. “I agree with 99 percent of his decisions and I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes,” said Reiter. “But my impression is that he always takes too long to decide and that he hardly explains his decisions at all. If he needs time to think, that’s fine, but then he should communicate it openly.”
Reiter called on SPD co-chair Saskia Esken to resign from her position. “Saskia Esken may have merits in the past, but her bizarre appearances are piling up. Anyone who says on television that nothing can be learned from the deadly IS attack in Solingen should no longer be at the head of the SPD,” he said.