German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ’s centre-left Social Democrats, or SPD, launched their official campaign for the 9 June EU election with a rally in Hamburg, under the mantra “we need hope.” Scholz tried to alleviate German voters’ fears their country could be drawn into Ukraine’s war with Russia if it’s too proactive in its military support for the eastern European country. The chancellor reiterated Germany would continue to stand by Ukraine’s side under his leadership as the second-largest arms supplier after the US, but would avoid a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia. “To those who…