BERLIN (AP) — Germany's popular defense minister has taken himself out of contention to become the country's next leader, clearing the way for Chancellor Olaf Scholz to seek a second term in an early election after a week of arguments that exposed deep divisions in his struggling party.
Scholz and leaders of his center-left Social Democrats vowed Friday to fight their way back from a wide poll deficit ahead of the election, expected to take place Feb. 23. They insisted that the chancellor's three years in power have brought successes and that the Social Democrats weren't responsible for the infighting that pushed his unpopular three-party coalition government to collapse this month.
But a week of very public arguments about who should lead the fightback is widely viewed as having damaged the party further.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a video Thursday night that he has informed the party leadership he is “not available for a candidacy for the office of chancellor.” He said that “Olaf Scholz is a strong chancellor and he is the right candidate for chancellor.”
Rather than building momentum from Scholz's firing of his finance minister two weeks ago, which brought down the coalition, party members spent days airing public doubts about the chancellor.
The Social Democrats' rivals already determined who will lead their campaigns. The main opposition center-right Union bloc, which leads in polls, nominated Friedrich Merz as its challenger in September. Scholz’s remaining coalition partners, the Greens, named Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck to head their challenge on Sunday.
While Scholz has made clear for months that he intends to run for a second term and his party's leadership had made clear that it backed him, the lack of a formal nomination created space for persistent speculation that the party might instead choose Pistorius, who enjoys much higher popularity.
On Monday, two influential lawmakers said Scholz’s “current standing is strongly linked" with the failed coalition, which collapsed in a dispute about how to revive Germany’s stagnant economy, and that they were hearing many compliments for Pistorius. Others weighed in for and against the chancellor, who was at the Group of 20 summit in Brazil as the debate swirled.
Pistorius repeatedly said he stands behind Scholz and gave no indication that he planned to run for chancellor, but also conspicuously didn't rule it out until Thursday. The discussion, he said in the video released by the Social Democrats' leadership, was damaging to the party.
“I did not initiate this discussion, I did not want it and I did not bring myself into discussion for anything,” he said. “We now have a joint responsibility to end this debate.”
The party leadership is expected to formally nominate Scholz as its candidate for chancellor on Monday.
“I know these have been hard days,” party co-leader Lars Klingbeil said Friday at a conference of local Social Democratic politicians in Berlin. “But if a party can fight, then it is the Social Democrats ... I want to win with you.”
Scholz said it had ultimately been necessary to put an end to his coalition government “because there had been too many arguments and too many discussions, which made it difficult to concentrate on the successes.”
Among those, he pointed to Germany's status as Ukraine's biggest military supplier in Europe, along with his often-criticized refusal to supply long-range Taurus cruise missiles over concerns of escalating the war with Russia. “Only with the Social Democrats will prudence come together with clear support for Ukraine,” he said.
The question of how to reinvigorate Germany's economy is likely to be central to the election campaign.
On Friday, official figures showed that the economy grew only 0.1% in the third quarter compared with the previous three-month period, down from the 0.2% originally reported.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, and defence minister Boris Pistorius attend a plenary session in the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz smiles during a plenary session in the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Australia was left teetering on 67-7 in reply to India’s 150 all out as the grassy and bouncy Perth Stadium pitch claimed 17 wickets on the opening day of the Border-Gavaskar series on Friday.
Skipper and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah led the Indian attack with 4-17 and fellow fast bowler Mohamed Siraj took 2-17 on a difficult day for batting.
Left handers Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc will resume Saturday on 19 and 6 runs, respectively, as Australia trails India by 83 runs.
Unseasonal rain had the wicket covered in the week leading up to the test resulting in a lavish layer of grass to complement the traditional bounce of Perth pitches.
Bumrah ended Nathan McSweeney’s 10-ball debut by trapping the opener leg before wicket. He then returned two overs later to claim opener Usman Khawaja (8) and Steve Smith for nought off successive balls. Khawaja was caught by Virat Kohli at second slip and then Smith was trapped lbw.
Left-hander Travis Head thwarted Bumrah’s hopes of a hit trick but on 11 he played down the wrong line and was bowled off stump to give debutant fast bowler Harshit Rana his maiden test wicket.
Mitchell Marsh fell to a catch by KL Rahul at third slip off Siraj to leave Australia in a similar predicament to India in the morning when it won the toss and batted.
Labuschagne was dropped off the second ball when Kohli spilled a simple catch at second slip and then struggled to put bat to ball and made two runs off 52 balls before Siraj trapped him in front.
As the shadows lengthened Bumrah returned for his second spell and immediately removed his counterpart Cummins caught behind by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
In the first two sessions, seam bowler Josh Hazlewood broke the back of the Indian batting with 4-29 helped by swing bowlers Starc (2-24), Cummins (2-67) and Marsh (2-12).
Indian had slumped to 73-6 either side of the lunch break before Pant (37) and debutant and top-scorer Nitish Kumar Reddy (41) saved face with a 48-run eighth wicket stand.
Scoring runs was not easy on a pitch that offered bounce and sideways movement to Hazlewood and Starc, who claimed 400 test wickets between them to become the first Australian new-ball pair to achieve that feat.
Reddy, 21, hammered six fours and a six off 59 balls and took the attack to offspinner Nathan Lyon as he twice hit him down the ground and reverse swept in quick succession. He then parried Cummin behind the wicketkeeper for a six before holding out to deep mid-wicket where Khawaja took a running outfield catch. Two balls before, Khawaja dropped Reddy as he skied Cummins.
Earlier, Reddy on 10 survived a catch at the wicket after the Australians failed to refer a catch down legside as the TV replay showed a spike as the ball brushed past the gloves off Starc.
Pant was uncharacteristically circumspect in the company of the junior partner and hit a six and three fours in his 78-ball innings before Cummins had him caught by Smith at second slip.
India was teetering on 51-4 at lunch as the decision to bat first backfired sensationally.
Openers Jashasvi Jaisval (0), Rahul (26), Devdutt Padikkal (0) and star batsman Kohli (5) fell before lunch as India rued its decision to bat.
Opening the batting in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Rahul on 19 completed 3,000 test runs in his 54th test match.
Starc in particular was unplayable in his opening five-over spell during which he had lefthander Jaisval caught at gully by test debutant Nathan McSweeney.
Hazlewood, who was rested after a three-over burst, returned to the attack to replace Starc and in the space of 15 balls removed Paddikal and Kohli.
Padikkal survived 23 balls as he repeatedly played and missed against Starc before Hazlewood had him caught behind by wicketkeeper Carey.
Two overs later, Kohli, having arrived at the crease to the thunderous applause from a record 31,302 opening-day crowd for a test at the Perth Stadium, was surprised by a Hazlewood delivery that bounced disconcertingly and flew off the shoulder of the bat to first slip Khawaja.
Australia and India are one-two in the World Test Championship standings.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's players celebrate the wicket of India's KL Rahul during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Nathan Lyon fields the ball during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Josh Hazlewood celebrates the wicket of India's Devdutt Padikkal, second left, during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Mitchell Marsh, right, walks up to teammate Josh Hazlewood to celebrate the wicket of India's Virat Kohli during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Virat Kohli warms up before the start of the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's fans react to the camera as the wait for the first cricket test between India and Australia to begin in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Josh Hazlewood, facing the camera, celebrates with teammates the wicket of India's Devdutt Padikkal during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Dhruv Jurel bats during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Mitchell Starc prepares to bowl during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's players celebrate the wicket of India's Virat Kohli during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Virat Kohli bats during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Josh Hazlewood celebrates with teammates the wicket of India's Virat Kohli during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Josh Hazlewood collects the ball as he prepares to bowl during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Yashasvi Jaiswal leaves the field after losing his wicket to Australia's Mitchell Starc during play in the first cricket test between India and Australia in Perth, Australia, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
