Brandenburg’s premier, Dietmar Woidke of the SPD, has criticized his own party sharply. He told the “Welt” on a Wednesday edition that the SPD must finally confront a “loss of trust among workers”. According to him, the working population-often seen as the middle of society-must again see the party as competent in solving the country’s problems.
Woidke noted that the one‑year‑old federal election shocked him not only with the SPD’s overall result but also with the fact that only twelve percent of workers voted for the party. In Baden‑Württemberg, the figure was even lower at 4.5 percent. “We made mistakes” he said. “The workers’ concerns must move back onto our agenda”.
The premier also called for a radical overhaul of Germany’s energy policy, insisting that cutting energy costs is essential. He argues that what the current black‑red coalition has achieved so far is insufficient, describing it largely as subsidy‑driven. “It must be stated plainly” he said. “These measures do not actually reduce costs; they merely keep end‑prices artificially low, which is unsustainable”.
Woidke stressed that urgent systemic changes are needed. Germany has the highest electricity prices in Europe, and that cannot continue. He aligned himself with CDU Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, who has highlighted how hard reforms are in the energy sector because many have grown accustomed to the high profits from rising prices. Energy‑generation plants should be built where electricity is needed, and new stations must produce usable power-not just the installed capacity.