A top official with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party quits, a year before the national election

BERLIN (AP) — A top official with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party has announced his resignation, a year ahead of an election in which the center-left Social Democrats face an uphill struggle. He is citing health problems. Kevin Kühnert has been the Social Democrats’ general secretary — the party official responsible for day-to-day political strategy — since late 2021. Scholz led the party to a narrow win in that year’s national election, but its poll ratings have dropped sharply since then as the chancellor’s coalition with the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats has developed a reputation for constant infighting.