A senior SPD politician and former Bundestag president, Wolfgang Thierse, has described the party’s election defeat as a “terrible defeat” and “bitter, bitter”. In an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, he emphasized the need for self-criticism within the party, from top to bottom, including the Jusos. Thierse also criticized the party’s in-content orientation, stating that the SPD had focused on issues such as self-determination laws, cannabis legalization and heating system regulations, which do not lie at the heart of the general public. He believes the party must return to the core issues of work, income, economic future and the future of the social welfare state. The SPD, he said, should not prioritize diversity, identity and gender issues over these fundamental concerns.
Regarding the possibility of the SPD participating in a government, Thierse said the party must now be able to govern. “It must be able to make compromises and at the same time, sharpen its profile. That is a quite challenging task.” He expressed sympathy for the party’s chair, Lars Klingbeil, who is also set to become the new faction leader, saying that Klingbeil is facing a “nearly murderous task” that Thierse does not envy.