German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, in a surprise move, has returned to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) following the collapse of the coalition government this week, Bloomberg reports.
His re-entry comes amid speculation that he will be his party’s candidate for Chancellor in the upcoming election. Habeck declared his return in a late Thursday post, stating he is “back for good.”
He further explained his return.
“It’s easy to leave places like this to the loudmouths and populists. But making it easy for yourself cannot be the solution.”
His remarks suggest a commitment to engaging in public discourse on social media, even in the face of political polarization.
The unexpected election is a result of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision to fire Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Scholz will seek a vote of confidence in January, potentially leading to early elections in March.
Opposition leader Friedrich Merz and his conservative CDU/CSU alliance, currently leading in polls with over 30% support, are pushing for an earlier vote. Merz, however, expressed skepticism about Habeck’s potential candidacy, stating, “The self-proclamation as candidate for chancellor with 9 percent voter approval certainly has a humorous part.”
The Greens, Habeck’s party, are currently polling at 11%, while the business-friendly FDP, whose leader Lindner was fired, is at a mere 3%, significantly down from their 2021 performance.
A cryptic video posted by Habeck featuring him working at his desk and humming Herbert Groenemeyer’s “Zeit, dass sich was dreht” (time for something to change) further fueled speculation about his candidacy. The video is accompanied by the words “different from here on,” seemingly hinting at a shift in his political trajectory.
