Germany’s Finance Minister Advances to Run-Off for Party Chief
- Scholz places first with nearly a quarter of valid votes
- Leftist contender wants to abandon fiscal rigor, coalition
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German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz snatched a first-round win for the leadership of his Social Democratic Party, boosting the chances of survival for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition.
Scholz, the only candidate who unequivocally backed staying in government, took 22.7% of the ballots, according to the party’s tally on Saturday. He and his running mate, Brandenburg state politician Klara Geywitz, will face a leftist couple of government critics in the November run-off.