German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that it was “entirely possible” that US Vice President Kamala Harris will win the presidential election in November, calling her as “competent and experienced”.
Following 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s surprising decision to withdraw from the presidential race on Sunday, Harris has emerged as the Democratic Party’s practically uncontested leader for the candidacy.
At his annual summer press conference in Berlin, Scholz told reporters, “I believe it is entirely possible that Kamala Harris will win the election, but it will be up to American voters to decide.”
Scholz described Harris as “a competent and experienced politician who knows exactly what she’s doing.”
He stated that his interactions with Harris were “conversations where she put forward her views authentically” rather than merely “saying something prepared beforehand”.
He also stated that Harris had “clear ideas about the role of her country in the world and the challenges that confront us”.
The US presidential race is closely followed by Washington’s European partners, especially given the likelihood of victory for the feisty and often isolationist Donald Trump.
“What happens there is of the greatest importance for all countries in the world and of course especially for the close allies of the US in Germany and in Europe,” according to Scholz.
He stated unequivocally that the relationship “cannot depend on who the president is” and that it was his responsibility to work with whichever administration was elected.