Overview

• Olaf Scholz referred to Berlin's Kultursenator Joe Chialo, who has Tanzanian roots, as a 'Hofnarr' (court jester) during a private event, sparking accusations of racism from CDU members.
• Chialo has described the remark as hurtful and demeaning but stated he does not believe Scholz is a racist; the two discussed the incident in a phone call, which Chialo considers closed on his part.
• The CDU criticized Scholz heavily, with some party figures calling for an apology, while Scholz and the SPD dismissed the racism allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
• Scholz admitted to using the term but denied any racial connotation, emphasizing that his comment was not linked to Chialo's skin color and expressing personal dismay over the accusations.
• The controversy arises just days before Germany's Bundestag elections, with both parties accusing each other of leveraging the incident for political gain.