Newspaper
SPD Leader Calls for Review of Party’s “Disastrous” Election Result
The leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the state of Lower Saxony, Olaf Lies, has called for a thorough examination of the party’s “disastrous” election result. The SPD suffered a historic low of 16.4 percent in the recent federal election, prompting Lies to question the party’s strategies and solutions.
“The SPD is in a severe crisis and we cannot ignore it” Lies told the German news magazine, Spiegel. “We must ask ourselves if we set the right themes and offered the right solutions.” The party’s federal convention in June will be the ideal platform to “intensively work on this” the Lower Saxony SPD leader emphasized.
Lies also expressed his expectation of the new federal government, led by the black-red coalition, to demonstrate “unity and good, constructive cooperation, regardless of party affiliation.” In an unexpected statement, the SPD leader wished for a strong CDU federal chancellor, stating that it would prove the effectiveness of the German democracy.
The article highlights the internal struggles of the SPD, as the party’s leader seeks to address the crisis and find a way forward.