Regional victory brings Germany's Scholz brief respite from growing pressure within party

FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses the "Summit of the Future" in the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2024. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) staved off the far-right in a regional election on Sunday, likely providing him only a brief reprieve from growing criticism of his leadership within his own party.

The centre-left SPD staged a last minute comeback in the eastern state of Brandenburg, where they have ruled since reunification in 1990 and Scholz has his own constituency, to win the election on 30.9% of the vote.