Opinion

Scholz promised stability, but Germany got chaos instead

Merkel’s 16 years of drift and Scholz’s three years of mismanagement have left Germany’s problems too deep for quick fixes – that is the price for too many years of politics without leadership.

Oliver HartwichContributor

Feb 21, 2025 – 11.33am

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When Olaf Scholz campaigned for the chancellorship in 2021, he presented himself as Angela Merkel’s natural heir.

The pitch was simple: another reliable, steady leader who would manage Germany without unnecessary drama. Like Merkel, he cultivated an image of being solid, a bit boring, but fundamentally competent.

Oliver Hartwich is executive director of The New Zealand Initiative, a business think tank in Wellington.