A group within the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is calling for a party convention to be held soon to elect a new leadership. This is reported by the Tagesspiegel, citing a paper written by the “Working Group for Migration and Diversity in the SPD” and authored by the federal executive board.
According to the paper, the current party leadership is responsible for the party’s poor election results. The paper states that the election outcome was not a natural event, but rather the result of a series of political mistakes. Therefore, a federal party convention with leadership elections is necessary, at the latest in the summer.
The paper is not veiled in its criticism of the party’s and faction’s leader, Lars Klingbeil. He had already claimed his right to the top position on the election night, using the slogan “Generation Change” and also sought the position of faction leader. On Wednesday, the future faction elected him as its leader, as desired.
The paper now demands new faces in the party’s leadership: “What is meant by responsibility is not taking the next career step behind a smoke screen. Phrases like ‘Generation Change’ must not serve as a shield for individual persons.” It is about a “facelift” with age being secondary. Although one wins and loses together, “this does not mean that the leadership must not draw consequences.”
The co-leaders of the working group are Aziz Bozkurt, the state secretary for social affairs in the Berlin Senate administration and Stella Kirgiane-Efremidou, a local politician from Baden-Württemberg. The paper also demands an in-depth renewal of the party’s content. Specifically, a comprehensive concept for a solidary social state should be developed by the end of 2026.
The topic of migration is described as a “blatant example” of party internal leadership failure. “Avoiding, delaying and making bad compromises led to fewer debates and instead, people were pushed around.” The party needs an internal arena for the future to clarify content.
The party also needs a new, future-oriented basic program. This should be developed by the end of 2028 and in a participatory process for members and civil society, the working group demands.