20:08⇢Pistorius Bows Out, Backs Scholz
⌨The newspapers report extensively on Defense Minister Boris Pistorius's decision to withdraw from SPD chancellor candidacy, announced via video message to party members (Berliner Zeitung, FAZ, FR, Junge Freiheit, RP Online, Spiegel, Welt, WAZ). Pistorius expressed support for incumbent Scholz, calling him an "excellent chancellor" (FAZ, Welt). The Stuttgarter Zeitung suggests this ends a difficult debate for SPD but leaves underlying party problems unresolved.