His poll numbers are in the basement, the opposition is demanding a vote of confidence. But the Chancellor remains true to himself after the difficult budget compromise: he thinks he’s doing pretty well. And believes in his re-election.
There are more rewarding tasks for political journalists than interviewing Olaf Scholz. In a small circle, the man should be able to be funny, relaxed and tidy, say people who have access to such a small circle. In his public appearance, however, the Chancellor is usually dull and lacking in emotion, but he does not see this as a deficiency. Scholz likes to answer specific questions that are intended to corner him with sober lists of his government’s actions. He also always has his facial expressions under control; no facial muscle twitches that shouldn’t twitch. At best, he affords his Scholz smile, which is always on the borderline between self-assured and complacent and which CSU boss Markus Söder once described as “smurfy”.