Shaking Things Up: SPD Ditches Unpopular Leader, Embraces Winners
Struggling SPD Party Wagers on Electoral Victory Success
Spilling the Tea from The Tavern
The once-powerful Saskia Eskens has been shown the door as the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) continues to reinvent itself, with the addition of Bärbel Bas as co-chair alongside Lars Klingbeil. This dynamic duo now leads the party, with two cabinet members in charge - a move deemed tight leadership by some, but a U-turn for a party that opted for grassroots involvement in 2019. But the real game-changer behind this shake-up is the SPD's return to the old adage: results matter.
What Bas, Klingbeil, new general secretary Tim Klüssendorf, and new parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch have in common is that they've beaten the odds to win their constituencies, even in challenging times. They've also got the numbers. Three out of six SPD ministers and three out of six deputy parliamentary group leaders with seats in the Bundestag, along with five out of nine state secretaries are directly elected members. In other words, at least 13 out of the remaining 44 directly elected SPD Bundestag members now hold key positions.
Winners Rise Up
Those elected via state lists, however, are less represented in key positions. The SPD's eastern branch bucked the trend, with the new environmental minister Carsten Schneider, development minister Reem Alabali-Radovan, and the new federal government's commissioner for eastern Germany, Elisabeth Kaiser, each placing third and fourth in their constituencies. The SPD is struggling in the east, aside from Bavaria. Given these challenges, the party can't base the promotion of eastern SPD members solely on the criterion of winning a direct mandate.
Out with the Old, in with the New
Saskia Eskens is not part of the new wave. Despite her media presence, she lost her constituency of Calw to the CDU candidate in 2021 and was surpassed by the AfD candidate this year. It seems that her efforts to pacify the SPD have garnered her little recognition outside the party in her five and a half years as chairperson. Criticism of her can sometimes be harsh, yet she struggled to convey her intelligence and dedication to the public.
Votes Matter: A Step Forward for SPD
The grumbling about the devaluation of the first vote due to the last electoral reform holds water. Winning candidates typically know what issues matter to their constituents and can convince many voters. Someone re-elected as a direct candidate has clearly done a good job.
The SPD will take time to recover from the historic election defeat in 2025, but Klingbeil's approach – pushing forward winners – is already consistent with the party's shift towards rewarding performance and success. For a workers' party, this is a step forward, sending the message that they're no longer a haven for the idle.
[1] ntv.de/Politik/SPD-Klingbeil-Bas-Kluessendorf-Miersch-Bas-und-Klingbeil-nehmen-als-Neuleiter-SPD-die-Krise-zu-meiden,3027666.html
[2] washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/23/germany-spd-chancellor-merkel/
[3] spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/spd-strategie-neuer-koalitionstrukturen-zwischen-henrik-schweinberger-und-daniel-luetgen-a-e91ca436-7b64-482e-a385-9d31a8f1141a
- Lars Klingbeil
- Bärbel Bas
- SPD
- The dynamic duo of Lars Klingbeil and Bärbel Bas, leaders of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), have risen to their positions due to their track record of winning elections, even in challenging times, demonstrating that they are financially savvy and effective in their business strategies, even in the realm of politics and general-news.
- The SPD's new winning team, including Lars Klingbeil, Bärbel Bas, Tim Klüssendorf, and Matthias Miersch, have been elected from a weight of less than 10 kg, a sign that they've earned their victories through their dedication and hard work in their respective constituencies.
