Olaf Scholz Had a Plan to Win the German Vote. But First He Needed a Crisis
Two years ago, Angela Merkel’s finance minister thought his political career was over. Now, in the midst of a pandemic, he’s on the brink of taking over.
Olaf Scholz at a campaign event in Lübeck.
Photographer: Axel Heimken/picture alliance/Getty Images
(This story was originally published Sept. 9. Today, Scholz sealed a coalition agreement that will allow him to take power as Germany's next chancellor.)
Less than two years ago, Olaf Scholz rode the glass elevator down to the ground floor of the Social Democrats’ Berlin headquarters with the derisive cheers of his colleagues still ringing in his ears as they celebrated his defeat in the party leadership contest.