A former SPD chair and chancellor candidate, Martin Schulz, is supporting Lars Klingbeil as the new leader of the Social Democratic Party. “It was a tough election defeat, there’s no need to beat around the bush, I think Lars Klingbeil is handling things correctly” Schulz told the German magazine Stern. He believes the party should not “behead itself” in this situation.
Schulz, who lost the 2017 chancellor election to Angela Merkel, is advising the SPD to take time to process the election defeat. “When you lose as badly as we did on Sunday, there are always people who say everything has to be changed, everything has to be new. That’s completely understandable, humanly speaking. If the 1. FC Köln lost 6-0, I would also smash the cups against the wall” he said.
Regarding the Franco-German relationship, Schulz is hoping for a new start under a Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “Between Angela Merkel and the French never really worked, between Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron was businesslike. Let’s hope it’s better now.” Merz and Macron should also engage with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Schulz suggested. “She has acknowledged her European partners. So, Macron and Merz should make an effort with Meloni. Italy is needed, even if Meloni’s government has right-wing extremist elements.