German Social Democratic (SPD) Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that, in the event of an election defeat on February 23, he will not accept the role of vice chancellor in a possible government of his Christian Democratic (CDU/CSU) rival Friedrich Merz.
"I wouldn't do that," he said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk Kultur radio.
"But I'm definitely fighting to be chancellor again," Solc added.
The SPD currently lags behind the Christian Democrats in polls by between 14 and 22 percent, but has seen a slight increase in support in recent days.
Before becoming chancellor, Scholz was vice chancellor and finance minister in the government of Christian Democratic Chancellor Angela Merkel between 2018 and 2021.
Current Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil are mentioned as potential deputies of Merc in the CDU/CSU and SPD coalition.
In November, Soltz said what he would do differently if he became chancellor again, alluding to the crisis within the ruling coalition that led to its collapse at the beginning of November.
"I would make it clear that there are certain things because of which the government either continues to work or ceases to exist," he said.
He hinted that he is not sure if he should have dissolved the coalition earlier.
At the beginning of November, Soltz replaced the liberal (FDP) Christian Lindner from the position of finance minister. The FDP then left the coalition and opened the way for early elections.
After the elections, a possible coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats comes into play. The Christian Democrats, like the Social Democrats, reject any cooperation with the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is currently second behind the CDU/CSU in the polls.
Among the Christian Democrats, possible cooperation with the Greens and some of the smaller parties is disputed.
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