BERLIN – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz amped up on his criticism of US President-elect Donald Trump’s comments on the integrity of borders in an animated speech meant to boost the morale of Social Democrats ahead of a federal election next month.

In power since 2021 as the senior member of a now-defunct three-party coalition, support for the SPD has slumped as an early election looms for Europe’s largest economy on Feb 23.

Speaking at a party congress in Berlin, Mr Scholz spoke of uncertain times in relations with its key ally, the US, and also pointed to the rise of the far right in neighbouring Austria. Both developments showed that a lot was at stake for Germany, the chancellor warned.

“We are indeed at a crossroads in Germany. If we take a wrong turn in Germany on Feb 23, we will wake up the next morning in a different country. That must not happen,” Mr Scholz told the SPD delegates.

The party congress is expected to later formally nominate Mr Scholz as their top candidate, and adopt the party’s election program.

Turning to Trump’s recent expansionist rhetoric against Greenland and Canada as well as the Panama Canal, Mr Scholz said the comments coming from the US give cause for concern.

“The principle of inviolability of borders applies to every country,” Mr Scholz said to loud applause. “That borders are inviolable is a central principle of international law. No country is the backyard of another. No small country should have to fear its big neighbour. That is the core of what we call Western values – our values!”

Mr Scholz attacked plans of the opposition conservatives to lower the corporate tax rate, which he said would come at the expense of the working class.

“Who’s going to foot the bill? I’m telling you: The bill will be paid by the ordinary people in this country,” Mr Scholz said. “They will have to accept bitter cuts in public pensions and care.”

The chancellor triggered an early election – seven months before the scheduled end of his four-year term – when he fired his finance minister in early November in a dispute over more debt-financed government spending for Ukraine, effectively stripping himself of a majority in the Lower House of Parliament.  

With little more than six weeks until the Feb 23 federal vote, the main opposition conservatives under Christian Democrats leader Friedrich Merz have a comfortable lead in opinion polls, with the far-righ...