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.

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.

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.