Following its recent performance in the state election in Baden-Württemberg, where the SPD secured only 5.5 percent, the party is reorganizing itself. According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Bundestag representative Isabel Cademartori and former representative Robin Mesarosch plan to run together for the state leadership, and no counter-candidates are expected.
Cademartori told the newspaper that the decision to co-lead stemmed from a readiness to take risks: “There is a willingness to try something new. Because of that, we have decided to run together for the state chairmanship”. This move comes after the previous top candidate and state chairman, Andreas Stoch, resigned from his position.
With Cademartori and Mesarosch, the Baden-Württemberg state chapter aims to become not only younger but also politically further left and clearer in its stances. Cademartori emphasized the need for a sharper political edge, stating, “A result of five percent demands more clarity and more sharp focus than it would for a party with thirty percent”. She added, “We don’t have much to lose. And we can’t always be considerate of whoever might not be fully on board or if some regional branch sees things differently. Then we will decline”.
Both candidates intend to change the party’s outreach to voters and its organizational structure at the state level first. Mesarosch argued that retaining established structures is detrimental, predicting that the party would struggle to secure even three percent in the next election. He stressed that a fundamental change is necessary, noting the goal must be to clearly redefine the SPD’s platform in Baden-Württemberg. “We are not entering this process merely with the goal of getting seven percent next time” Mesarosch remarked. “Our members must once again know what we are capable of changing when they vote for the SPD. That is the objective”.
Cademartori extended this concern to the federal level, stating that the situation in Baden-Württemberg was not unique; while the local situation was more dramatic, the federal trend unfortunately pointed in a direction favorable to the SPD. She made it clear that the party cannot rely on complacency regarding the national situation, indicating that as state chairwoman, she intends to take an active role in steering the party on these issues. Concluding her points, she stated, “We are a new generation that wants to assume responsibility, because we are also dissatisfied with how things have been going so far”.