Three months before elections, Germany's embattled Olaf Scholz kicked off the campaign Saturday by attacking his conservative rival as cold towards the poor but a hothead who would play "Russian roulette" with Moscow.

The upcoming early elections to Germany's parliament will mark a crucial decision on the country's direction, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told his Social Democratic Party (SPD) at an election campaign conference on Saturday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday kicked off his re-election bid and prepared his party for an intensive campaign in his first major speech to around 500 party members in Berlin. The elections in February will be necessary due to the break-up of the governing coalition.

Germany's ruling Social Democrats officially made Chancellor Olaf Scholz their lead candidate on Monday for February's election, billing him as a safe pair of hands compared with the opposition conservatives contender who has no government experience.

With less than three months to go until Germany's expected election, Chancellor Olaf Scholz came out swinging on Saturday, vowing to make his troubled Social Democrats (SPD) the strongest force in parliament.

Germany's troubled Social Democratic Party (SPD) launched its general election campaign on Saturday, pledging to fight its way back to the top following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz' three-party coalition government earlier in November.