November 6, 2024: Europe wakes up to the news that Donald Trump will once again become President of the United States. Chancellor Olaf Scholz routinely congratulates him, true to his credo: Keep calm! But that very evening he sacks Finance Minister Christian Lindner. Scholz has rarely been seen so emotional. His government is a thing of the past. A few hours later, Tesla founder and Trump confidant Elon Musk posts “Olaf is a fool” on his social media platform X. As always, Olaf Scholz remains cool, his government spokeswoman announces: “There is freedom from fools on X.”

Olaf Scholz shapes Germany’s politics with stoic composure and perseverance, guiding the country through turbulent times with technocratic precision. Whether crisis or criticism, Olaf Scholz remains calm. Who is behind this Hanseatic man, behind the “Scholzomat”, who communicates his emotions with a “smurfy grin” at best? Why did he fail?

It is time to take a closer look at the man who led the most unpopular government in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. Olaf Scholz has worked his way to the top of German politics in a conspicuously inconspicuous manner: from Senator of the Interior in Hamburg to SPD General Secretary under Gerhard Schröder and finally from First Mayor of Hamburg to Federal Chancellor. An almost prototypical rise of a politician in the Federal Republic – male, West German, white. The trained lawyer has been in politics since his school days. As Juso vice-chairman, he was still calling for the “overcoming of the capitalist economy”. Scholz started his career as an edgy idealist – and became a political pragmatist. How did the sober “man without qualities” actually manage to achieve this?

This question is addressed by the tried-and-tested “Schicksalsjahre” team, which has celebrated great success with series about the British royals, US presidents and Angela Merkel. The series sheds light on the milestones in Scholz’s career, his fateful years and moments. Among others, former CDU candidate for chancellor Armin Laschet, Federal Minister Volker Wissing (non-party), podcaster and journalist Yasmine M’Barek, former federal chairwoman of the Green Party Ricarda Lang, SPD campaign manager Frank Stauss, security and defense policy expert Prof. Carlo Masala, political analyst Prof. Dr. Dr. Scholz and his team. Carlo Masala, political influencer Lilly Blaudszun, Hamburg’s former Senator for Culture and Scholz companion Carsten Brosda (SPD) and British-German journalist Kate Connolly.