Ministerpräsidentin Manuela Schwesig of Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern has ruled out running as the SPD’s candidate for Chancellor in 2029. When asked by the newspaper “Stern” whether she would remain in her post in Schwerin for a full five‑year term after a repeat electoral victory, she replied simply, “I am running for the next five years”. She added that a Bundestag election in 2029 would not change this, and she rules out a chancellor bid.
Looking ahead to the state election in her own land on 20 September, Schwesig expressed confidence that the SPD will once again become the dominant force. Current polling shows the AfD at about 38 percent, while the SPD is around 50 percent. “Polls are not election results” she remarked.
She reflected on how the poll numbers were still shifting in 2021, noting that by the summer, as the election approaches, voters will be asking who can govern the country and lead it into a bright future. They will be weighing experience, stability and reliability, and deciding whom they can trust.
Earlier, SPD chairwoman Bärbel Bas had signalled that she has no intention of seeking the party’s chancellor candidacy. When “Stern” asked who will be the SPD’s candidate for Chancellor, she answered, “Me neither”. This announcement pre‑empted any possible rivalry with her co‑chair, Lars Klingbeil.