German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has created a TikTok account—and he promises he will not dance on it.
“I don’t dance. Promise,” Scholz said on X on Monday after his social media team published his first post on TikTok.
In the first post on the account, a member of Scholz’s team films her sneakers as she walks across the Chancellor’s office, before the camera pans to a briefcase, and then shows a smiling Scholz sitting at his desk.
Until now, the German government has not used the Chinese platform because of data security concerns.
TikTok posts are sent from a special, independent cell phone to ensure the data security of the German government, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told a regular press conference ahead of Scholz’s trip to China on Saturday.
To connect with a younger audience, Hebestreit also said the German government had to “go where the citizens are and inform them there.”
At the same time, he warned TikTok to comply with data protection laws in Europe.
Scholz’s bid to reach more voters comes ahead of the European Parliament elections on June 6-9.