Portrait of Olaf Scholz
Center-left · Leader · From history

Olaf Scholz

Chancellor of Germany, 2021 to 2025

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A Social Democrat who declared a Zeitenwende, a turning point, after Russia invaded Ukraine, raising defense spending and ending reliance on Russian gas.

Olaf Scholz sits in the left-libertarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: slightly state-led and centered on liberty and authority. The clearest positions are strongly institutional on institutions, leaning globalist on nation and leaning tech-optimist on technology. The profile is close to the middle on liberty and authority.

Read more about Olaf Scholz on Wikipedia →

Where Olaf Scholz sits on ten dimensions

Each scale runs from one pole to the other, and the dot shows the overall tendency of this person's record and public life. These are simplified estimates and open to debate.

💰EconomySlightly state-led
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authorityCentered on liberty and authority
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureLeaning progressive
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationLeaning globalist
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentLeaning nature-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyLeaning tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceLeaning strength-first
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsStrongly institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional
🙏ReligionSlightly secular
SecularReligious
🛡️InterventionismSlightly interventionist
Non-interventionistInterventionist

People most like Olaf Scholz

Jens Stoltenberg Prime Minister of Norway and NATO Secretary General99%Bob Hawke Prime Minister of Australia, 1983 to 199199%Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the US House, 2007 to 2011 and 2019 to 202399%Chuck Schumer US Senate Democratic leader, 2017 to present99%Larry Summers American economist and former US Treasury Secretary99%Felipe González Prime Minister of Spain, 1982 to 199699%Josep Borrell EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, 2019 to 202499%Janet Yellen American economist and former US Treasury Secretary99%

People furthest from Olaf Scholz

Jair Bolsonaro President of Brazil, 2019 to 202213%Murray Rothbard American economist, 1926 to 199513%Leo Tolstoy Russian novelist and moral thinker, 1828 to 191016%Donald Trump US President, 2017 to 2021 and 2025 to present17%

Political views closest to Olaf Scholz

Third Way centrismCombines market economics with moderate social policy and pragmatic problem solving.99%KeynesianismSupports government spending and central bank action to smooth recessions and protect…98%FabianismPursues socialism gradually through research, education and reform rather than revolution.97%European federalismWants Europe's states to pool sovereignty into a shared democratic federation.97%

Read more about Olaf Scholz

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Biographies of Olaf ScholzBooks on third Way centrism

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Percentages show how close two profiles are across all ten dimensions. Including a person here is for study and comparison, not approval. Portrait: Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; see all photo credits.