Germany’s Social Democrats nominate Finance Minister Scholz as party’s candidate for chancellor in 2021 election

The Social Democrats in Germany have proposed Olaf Scholz, the vice chancellor and finance minister – and their most high-profile and popular politician – to run to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in next year’s elections.

The decision marks a comeback for the former Hamburg mayor, who was last year defeated in the race to lead his party by two left-wing outsiders. Now, Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans have nominated their erstwhile rival, Reuters reports.

“Now it’s official,” Scholz tweeted. “The party leadership have unanimously nominated me as chancellor candidate. I look forward to a fun, fair and successful campaign.”

The party, which for decades vied with Merkel’s Christian Democrats to dominate the political scene, has not won a national election since 2002. Merkel’s fourth and final term is expected to end next year.