Olaf Scholz: Germany new chancellor wey take over from Angela Merkel - Profile

E Germany general election, and now di wey be deputy for three years to Chancellor Angela Merkel don take her oga job.

Olaf Scholz bin get one funny nickname "Scholzomat" (Scholzomaton) - but im don succeed to put im technocratic image wey dey make am behave like robot sometimes behind am and secure agreement to govern wit di Greens and business-friendly Free Democrats.

Di 63-year-old former mayor of Hamburg promise voters continuity afta 16 years under Merkel wey dey conservative, even though im na di candidate for di rival Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Di way e handle di Covid crisis make pipo like am wey give am high approval ratings.

Im opponents try to take advantage of im record as finance minister, wen dem accuse am of failures for two big financial scandals.

Managing di Covid crisis

As finance minister, Olaf Scholz oversee di emergency €750bn (£675bn; $884bn) funding package wey di federal goment bring to help German business and workers survive di pandemic.

"Dis na di bazooka wey dey needed to to do di work," oga Scholz tok. "We dey put all our weapons on di table to show sey we dey strong enough to overcome any economic challenge wey dis problem fit cause."

Im chair cabinet meetings wen Chancellor Merkel go into self-isolation as precaution.

For all di pain of di Covid crisis, oga Scholz get di chance to manage dat kain big money for di welfare of di state and fight for social cooperation, true to im left-wing background.

Before dem announce am as di candidate of SPD for di role of chancellor, wen dem ask am if e go contest, "we need to work, not indulge in vanities".

Solidarity wit France

Wit France, na Scholz also lead architect of di EU €750bn pandemic recovery fund.

And afta Angela Merkel era of close relations wit France, Scholz record to maintain Franco-German solidarity also work for im favour.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire praise not only di man for im solidarity wit France, but also im brother Dr Jens Scholz, wey airlift six critically sick French Covid-19 patients go hospital for Kiel. Dat na expensive life-saving mission, wey German goment pay for.

"So thank you, Olaf, for all you di tins you don do already. But thanks also to your brother. Scholz family na really great German family be dat,," Le Maire tok.

Frustration for left

Within di ranks of di SPD, however, dem see Olaf Scholz as conservative. Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans dey follow lead di party, wey dey further to di left.

Scholz, wey dey married to fellow SPD politician Britta Ernst, grow up for Hamburg and enter politics as Socialist Youth leader, afta e study labour law.

Im na mayor of Hamburg from 2011 to 2018, during which time im politics become less radical. Dem first electe am to di federal parliament (Bundestag) for 1998.

Di SPD na junior coalition partner of Merkel, Christian Democrats (CDU) for much of di past eight years and many SPD members complain say di policies wey dia grand coalition agree or "GroKo" dey too conservative.

By way of a contrast, im conservative rival for di elections, Armin Laschet, dey constantly accuse am of failing to rule out alliance wit left-wing Die Linke. E no dey likely, but politically e go dey unwise for Scholz to reject am out of hand.

Die Linke big policy plan to leave Nato no follow for im agenda. "Everybody wey know me, know wetin dem det get," e tok during one debate.

And voters know say di vice-chancellor don work successfully wit Angela Merkel, so e enta di voters better pass her anointed successor as continuity candidate.