Scholz’ style of government: too passive? | tagesschau.de

For days, Chancellor Scholz was hardly heard from in public. His critics from the opposition accuse him of lack of leadership and poor communication. The polls have also fallen recently.

It was a difficult week for Olaf Scholz. Because little was seen or heard from him for several days, calls were made on social media to look for the chancellor – using the hashtag “#WoIstScholz”. CSU boss Markus Söder also asked mockingly: “What is Olaf Scholz actually doing?” and accused him of lack of leadership.

The new CDU chairman Friedrich Merz was even clearer: “It is a disaster for Germany and for Europe and the political peace order on this continent that the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany is obviously paralyzed and blocked in what he could possibly do , should do anyway.”

Approval is also crumbling in the polls. Were in a month ago ARD Germany trend While 60 percent were still satisfied with the chancellor’s work, it is now only 43 percent. SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert defended Scholz against the accusation of passivity: In a highly explosive crisis, the chancellor was “at the negotiating table and not in front of the first camera”.

“Coordinated Policy”

Scholz justified himself in a similar way in an interview with ZDF: “It’s about coordinated politics taking place here as far as the European Union and NATO are concerned. But it’s also about making well-prepared decisions possible. And that’s only possible with hard work.”

For Scholz, management does not mean appearing in front of the cameras every day, but rather solving problems in the background. According to Lars Haider, editor-in-chief of the “Hamburger Abendblatt” and author of a Scholz biography, Olaf Scholz also ruled according to this motto as First Mayor in Hamburg: “Olaf Scholz’ claim is to explain and announce things when they are decided That means he works a lot and only speaks when that work is done.”

According to Lars Haider, Scholz set a golden rule for himself and his employees in Hamburg: “We are never hysterical and never offended!”. Haider suspects that the Chancellor just doesn’t want to add fuel to the fire in the Ukraine crisis either.

Biographer: Scholz needs to explain politics better

However, Haider also sees the fact that Scholz too seldom takes a stand and sets the direction from the command bridge as a shortcoming: “Absolutely. He has to explain his politics better. He may have to learn that again. That’s an absolute weakness of his . In terms of communication, he’s not the very best politician we have.” Especially since Scholz likes to avoid clear questions or not at all.

ZDF presenter Christian Sievers wanted to know whether he was traveling to the Olympic Games in China. Instead of a clear no, Scholz replies mischievously: “I don’t have any travel plans, so you can’t assume that I’ll suddenly show up and say: Hello, here I am.”

Travels to Washington, Kiev and Moscow

Back in Hamburg, his advisors tried to talk him out of it, emphasizes Scholz biographer Lars Haider. Obviously in vain. What Scholz has nevertheless become clear after this week: he has to go back to the public.

Hard work in the chancellor’s office and a lot of phone calls are obviously not enough to be successful as chancellor. This is one of the reasons for the travel offensive: next week in Washington, a week later in Kiev and Moscow, in between he will receive the heads of government of the three Baltic countries.