In an exclusive interview with Watson, the designated SPD Secretary-General, Tim Klüssendorf, emphasized the importance of sharpening the party’s line without compromising its coalition partner, the CDU/CSU. He drew a lesson from the experience of the SPD-led government, stating that “stereile debates cost a lot of trust.”
Klüssendorf acknowledged that the SPD and CDU/CSU have significant differences in many positions, but praised the cooperation in the new government, saying, “If you look at how we stood against each other during the election campaign and what we said to each other’s faces, I think we’ve already managed to get along quite well.”
A long-standing point of contention between the SPD and CDU/CSU has been migration policy. Klüssendorf, however, expressed a more positive outlook, stating, “This topic is much more positive than it is perceived. And the big challenge will be to fulfill the coalition agreement and at the same time tell the positive story of migration.”
The new SPD Secretary-General also commended the pension proposal made by Labor Minister Bärbel Bas, which had sparked criticism from the CDU/CSU. He said, “It should be allowed for a party to think about the future.” Klüssendorf is set to be officially elected as the SPD’s new Secretary-General at the party’s convention in June.