Scholz clear to seek 2nd term as German leader after defense minister rules out run

Germany's popular defense minister has taken himself out of contention to become the country's next leader, clearing the way for Chancellor Olaf Scholz to seek a second term in an early election after a week of arguments that exposed deep divisions in his struggling party.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

Scholz and leaders of his center-left Social Democrats vowed Friday to fight their way back from a wide poll deficit ahead of the election, expected to take place Feb. 23. They insisted that the chancellor's three years in power have brought successes and that the Social Democrats weren't responsible for the infighting that pushed his unpopular three-party coalition government to collapse this month.

But a week of very public arguments about who should lead the fightback is widely viewed as having damaged the party further.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a video Thursday night that he has informed the party leadership he is "not available for a candidacy for the office of chancellor." He said that "Olaf Scholz is a strong chancellor and he is the right candidate for chancellor."