Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz has denied the allegation that he made a “racist outburst” against an opposition politician.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he might take legal action over the report claiming that he racially insulted one of his conservative opponents at a birthday reception.

In an interview with the news magazine Spiegel, Scholz dismissed an account of events provided by the news magazine Focus Online. The magazine’s editor-in-chief was present at the party.

While Scholz admitted he had called Berlin’s Christian Democrat culture minister, Joe Chialo, a “court jester,” he said this was not intended as a racial slur.

The chancellor said he respected Chialo and sought contact with the CDU politician “immediately” after the allegations became known, Scholz said.

“What I have never done is to link this to the skin color of Mr. Chialo, whom I certainly respect.”

The chancellor said he was “shocked because I can be accused of anything, but certainly not of being a racist and of addressing anyone in this regard, as is now being insinuated here, so to speak”.

Scholz said he did not say “what was reported there. “Those who claim something false by putting words together in some way must expect to go to court.”

The chancellor had earlier posted a denial that his comments carried a racist element in a post on the messaging platform X.