After the end of the coalition

German Vice Chancellor posts mysterious video

Is Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck writing his "Chancellor's speech" here?

(Bild: x.com/roberthabeck)

While Chancellor Olaf Scholz is discussing a new election date with the opposition parties, Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) is apparently preparing for his own candidacy for chancellor. A mysterious video that he posted on the short message platform X is causing much speculation.

One week after the end of the German traffic light coalition, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) will make a government statement in the Bundestag next Wednesday. If the opposition parties have their way, the head of government would have to call a vote of confidence there and thus pave the way for new elections.

However, Scholz wants to wait a little longer and only take this step in January. This outraged the AfD and the CDU/CSU in particular. After a meeting in the Chancellery, there was fierce criticism from CDU leader Friedrich Merz: "This is not behavior that does justice to the situation of the country." They parted "in dissent" on Thursday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has dismissed his finance minister, thus sealing the end of the coalition with the traffic light government.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Odd ANDERSEN)

Following the break with the liberal FDP, Scholz no longer has a majority in parliament together with the Greens. The vote of confidence, which is likely to be lost, would pave the way for new elections. Until then, however, Scholz still wants to get some legislative packages through the Bundestag with changing majorities.

Habeck returns to X
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Habeck returned to X after an absence of almost six years. "It's easy to leave places like this to the screamers and populists. But taking the easy way out can't be the solution. Not today. Not this week. Not in this time. That's why I'm back on X," said the Green politician, explaining his return, which is now "for good".

A short time later, the 55-year-old posted an eleven-minute video (see video above), which is already being interpreted by the German media as an indication of a possible candidacy for chancellor. Habeck can finally be seen working on a text at his desk. In the background, November 8 is circled in red on the calendar - an indication that the candidacy will be announced this Friday? A small chain on the Vice-Chancellor's wrist, which reads "Chancellor Era", could serve as an answer to this question. Habeck is also humming Herbert Grönemeyer's "Zeit, dass sich was dreht sich".  

Habeck himself has already made his interest in the top position more than clear. At the end of September, he said on ZDF's "heute journal" that the party conference should include a very honest debate about "who we want to be, what we have done in the years of government, what we have achieved and which people - and whether I can be one of the people to lead this party forward in the coming years". 

Very limited chances for the Greens
However, Habeck's chances of actually becoming Chancellor are limited. His party is currently polling at a meagre nine to eleven percent. At this point, the Greens like to point to the SPD's poll results, which are only a few percentage points better, as they are also running a candidate for chancellor.