Die Zeit reporting that Finance........>

GERMAN PRESS: Die Zeit reporting that Finance Minster Olaf Scholz will seek to

run as the Social Democratic Party's candidate for chancellor in next year's

federal election. 

- Seen as a centrist in the party, Scholz is a well-known political figure in

Germany with high approval ratings.

- The SPD's joint-leaders Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans sit to the

left of Scholz on the political spectrum, but given the dearth of high-profile

potential candidates Scholz may be the only credible option available for the

party. 

- The SPD is polling around 15% in mid-June, just behind the centre-left Greens.

The party is likely to form a part of any future gov't, either as a junior

partner to Merkel's CDU or in league with the Greens and left-wing Die Linke.