Olaf Scholz

Profession: Politician

Nationality:

Biography: Olaf Scholz is the current Chancellor of Germany, a position he has held since December 2021. As a prominent member of the Social Democratic Party, Scholz has had a long and distinguished career in German politics.

Scholz grew up in Hamburg where he studied law, specializing in labor and employment law. He later joined the Social Democratic Party in the 1970s and held various roles within the party and its youth organization.

Scholz was elected to the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, in 1998. He served as the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs from 2007 to 2009. In 2011, Scholz was elected as the First Mayor of Hamburg, a position he held until 2018.

From 2018 to 2021, Scholz served as the Vice Chancellor and Minister of Finance under Chancellor Angela Merkel. During this time, he played a key role in Germany's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and advocated for a global minimum corporate tax rate.

As Chancellor, Scholz has faced significant challenges, including the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He delivered a notable speech, known as the Zeitenwende speech, which marked a major shift in German defense policy and increased military spending.

Scholz is known for his pragmatic and moderate political stance. He has been nicknamed "the Scholzomat" due to his precise and sometimes mechanical communication style. He has expressed his approval for the nickname, which he described in 2013 as "very appropriate."

Birthplace: Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany