German Foreign Minister has no plans to run for new term as Chancellor

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she does not intend to run again as the Greens' candidate for chancellor in the 2025 federal election. This makes Vice Chancellor and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck likely to become the left-wing party's main candidate.

Ms. Baerbock, the Green Party's candidate for German Chancellor in the 2021 federal election, told US broadcaster CNN on July 10 that she wanted to focus on her current job.

"The world is different than it was after the German national elections," Baerbock told CNN on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, DC. "In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and now also the situation in the Middle East, more diplomacy is needed, not less."

"Therefore, in this time of crisis, I believe that political responsibility means not being tied down to the election of German Chancellor. Instead, I want to use all my energies as Foreign Minister," she added.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in an interview with CNN on July 10, 2024, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington DC. Photo: CNN

Ms Baerbock's decision to not run again paves the way for Mr Habeck to become the Green Party's candidate for chancellor. Mr Habeck had previously expressed his intention to enter the race, but was ultimately beaten by Ms Baerbock in the party's caucus.

Responding to Ms Baerbock's announcement, Mr Habeck praised Ms Bearbock's "outstanding" performance as German foreign minister, and said the decision would be made in Green Party committees and "announced at the appropriate time".

Ms Baerbock became the first candidate of the environmentally friendly Green Party for the German chancellorship in the 2021 election, leading the party to a historic result of 14.7% of the vote.

Following the success, the Greens joined the ruling “traffic light” coalition led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The other two parties in the coalition are Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner’s pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP).

According to Euractiv, in recent polls, the Green Party's support rate is only 13%, far behind the CDU/CSU's 31%, the far-right AfD's 17%, and the SPD's 14%.

This could make it easier for CDU leader Friedrich Merz to become the next chancellor of Europe's largest economy. However, his party only wants to formally decide the matter after three regional elections in the states of Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in September this year.

The SPD is expected to re-nominate Mr Scholz as its candidate for German chancellor after another potential candidate, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, announced his support for Mr Scholz last month.

The far-right AfD party said it was also likely to nominate a candidate for German chancellor despite a "firewall" that has seen all other major parties rule out joining a government coalition with it.

The next federal election in Germany is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2025.

Minh Duc (According to Euractiv, DW)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ngoai-truong-duc-khong-co-ke-hoach-chay-dua-gianh-ghe-thu-tuong-nhiem-ky-moi-204240711160614208.htm