Report: Scholz to head ticket even if SPD does poorly in Europe vote

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) will once again be his party's chancellor candidate in next year's Bundestag or parliamentary elections - even if the SPD makes a poor showing in June's European vote, a party leader said.

"Olaf Scholz is the chancellor, and he will remain so. And he will also be our candidate again," Lars Klingbeil, co-leader of the SPD, told the newspaper Rheinische Post in remarks published on Thursday.

He made the comments when asked about consequences in the event of a poor performance by the SPD in the European Parliament elections, which take place in Germany on June 9.

Germany's parliamentary election will take place in the summer of 2025. Klingbeil said the chancellor will not be able to campaign much "because Olaf Scholz is leading this country through very challenging times. There is no time for an election campaign."

In current polls for the European elections, the SPD is only about half as strong as the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU). The SPD is roughly on par with the Greens and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Klingbeil also spoke out against delays to the federal budget for 2025 due to the difficult negotiations in the current coalition, which consists of the SPD, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).

He said his "clear expection" is for the budget plan to be finalized by the begining of July so Bundestag politicians "can examine it in peace during the summer break."

The plan is for the cabinet to approve the budget on July 3 and then send it to parliament.

Klingbeil described the financial gap that needs to be plugged as "very large" and the budget negotiations as "difficult and complicated."

"I have soberly realized that the financial gap is so large that it cannot be closed with savings," said Klingbeil, referring to the refusal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the FDP to suspend or reform the debt limit.

"So we need creative approaches," the SPD leader said. His party wants to reform the debt ceiling, which severely restricts the state's ability to take on debt.