As Germany heads to the polls, Chancellor Olaf Scholz finds his Social Democratic Party (SPD) significantly trailing the Union in the polls, making a potential transition of power to Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) increasingly likely.
However, this possible shift does not necessarily mark the end of Scholz’s political journey.
In the event that Scholz secures the direct mandate in Potsdam on Sunday, he has affirmed his intention to remain in the Bundestag for the entire legislative period, even if he does not retain his position as head of government.
“That has been clear for a long time,” he declared at the conclusion of his election campaign in Potsdam, responding to a journalist’s inquiry.
Current polling suggests a challenging scenario for the SPD, with Scholz’s potential successor, Merz, poised to take the reins.
Despite this, Scholz remains a strong contender in his Potsdam constituency, where he achieved victory in the 2021 election.
Scholz’s decision to stay in the Bundestag would echo the actions of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who continued to serve as a parliamentarian following his electoral defeat in 1998.
In contrast, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder resigned from his Bundestag mandate in 2005, shortly before transferring power to Angela Merkel.
Schröder subsequently transitioned to a role as a lobbyist for Russian energy firms. Merkel chose not to run for the Bundestag again in 2021.