In recent days, Boris Pistorius has been talked about as a possible candidate for chancellor for his center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).

After the collapse of the center-left coalition government at the beginning of November, this discussion has gathered pace: Pistorius was repeatedly brought into play as an alternative to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who wants to lead his party into the election campaign again as the chancellor candidate, despite his poor approval ratings.

Support for Pistorius' possible candidacy comes from the rank-and-file of his Social Democrat Party as well as from prominent SPD members. Pistorius has refused to be drawn into the discussion, and has repeatedly emphasized his loyalty to Scholz.

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When Pistorius was offered the position of German defense minister in January 2023, he was confident enough to accept what is often regarded as a hot seat in Berlin politics. Whoever is in charge of the chronically underfunded and poorly equipped Bundeswehr has been likely to make many........

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