Not even ten percent of Bavaria to select the SPD. A debacle for the Federal party. SPD-Boss Nahles looks frustrated and exhausted. How long you can hold the pressure? From Berlin, Sabine Kinkartz.
On the day after the Bavaria election, the mood in the SPD Headquarters is miserable. With a bad result you had expected in the party leadership. But is that so bad? Only 9.7 percent of the votes was able to win the Bavarian top candidate Natascha Kohnen for the SPD. This results in space five of the six parties, the move into the Bavarian Parliament. Easily, the SPD had it in Bavaria, never, but the outcome was a debacle.
“We will talk about everything, and everything means everything,” said Kohnen, who came on Monday morning to Berlin, at the session of the SPD Executive Board. In addition to your party leader Andrea Nahles, who seems to have even less sleep as Kohnen. She is pale, looks frustrated and exhausted. Insecure and somehow also at a loss. In the last few months, it went with the SPD further and further downhill. Nationally, the party in the polls, currently at 15 percent. A people’s party is in order.
Who has the black Peter?
Again and again Andrea Nahles searched for the right words to explain the election result. However, it does not succeed. The appearance of the Grand coalition in Berlin was partly responsible, says the 48-year-old. “The bad image of the Federal government has also contributed to the fact that we are penetrated with our themes.” As a SPD, the party standing, however, “even after such a defeat.”
Natascha Kohnen (left) and Andrea Nahles: Even the obligatory bouquet of flowers for the SPD’s top candidate was
A defeat, which would typically have certain consequences. Also in terms of personnel. But in two weeks will also be elected in the state of Hesse, a new Parliament. The local SPD candidate Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, calls on Monday morning as a precautionary measure, unity. “I expect that all of the SPD are now fighting on my side for the policy change and show that the SPD can also be different!”, he says and writes in order that the Comrades should hold the feet still.
The left wing is formed
The SPD Board of management, discussed behind closed doors, but the open exchange of blows will only be postponed once. The most part, anyway. Behind the Scenes of the resistance against the political course of the SPD party leadership, and especially against a Remain in the Grand coalition with the Union is formed, however, for weeks.
Only at the weekend that the party of the left met to a “basic Convention” in Berlin. “We want stable relations, but our patience is stretched to the limit,” – said in a paper, Kühnert, among other things, of Juso-Chef Kevin, the SPD Chairman, Schleswig-Holstein, Ralf Stegner, the Governing mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, but also by several of the SPD parliamentary deputies signed. “With the value of the stability our members have been asked to trust, but less stability than with this Union there have been rare in a German government.”
There is seething unrest in the party
The party left feels comfortable in their rejection of the “Grand coalition”, more than confirmed. She had not warned vehemently that the SPD would go in a new Grand coalition? After the defeat at the Federal election in September 2017, the social Democrats had initially decided to go into Opposition and to renew the party. But then the failed thought Jamaica coalition between the Union, the Greens and the FDP. On several party days and in a ballot of the social Democrats argued then about whether you should form a second Time with the CDU and CSU a government.
The party leaders of the unloved Grand coalition: Angela Merkel, Horst Seehofer and Andrea Nahles
In the end, the proponents prevailed, above all, the SPD Leader Andrea Nahles and Vice-Olaf Scholz, Federal Minister of Finance. You could very govern well at the same time, and the party to renew, they admitted both of them and insured that they would manage to do the balancing act. In addition, good Governance is “” the real key to the revival of the SPD. A hope that went with every dispute in the coalition next to nothing.
When is the revolt?
In the meantime, Juso have Kühnert-in-chief and the left party wing to distract tired of all the slogans and the Try from their own mistakes. What bring it, to constantly demand things like a five-year increase in stop Rent, if not to enforce the Union anyway, the Grand coalition opponents. The SPD didn’t make it in the last few months, clearly against the Union to demarcate and to show your own profile.
The also the own pendants see more clearly. The party was a Central theme, with which you could inspire the people, lack of SPD voters said in a survey conducted by the opinion research Institute Infratest dimap. Even in the case of a previously very own social democratic theme of social justice, to speak only a third of the SPD voters your party’s actual competence. Four out of five SPD-voters, surveyed by Infratest, would find it appropriate if your party would adopt for the purpose of Regeneration in the Opposition.
Social democracy still has a future?
The SPD in Bavaria, especially a lot of votes to the Greens (-200.000), but just as many of the parties to the right of her: CSU (-100.000) Free voters (-70 000) and AfD (-30 000). “The SPD loses compared to 2013 in all age, educational and occupational groups. Especially in the case of 45 – to 59-year-olds and voters with high education it is for the Bayern-SPD significantly weaker than five years ago, as in the case of civil servants”, to analyze the choice of researchers from Infratest dimap.
These are the values for Bavaria, but the Trend is nationwide. Because the question to stop this development at all, or even to cancel it. Not have occupied the Green party, the Left and the AfD long ago all the topics were about decades in social democratic hands? Once the social Democrats took care of the interests of the working class. To the Proletariat, as it was called earlier. But it no longer exists in this Form. What part of the population could be reached in the SPD in the future, with what program?
Decision before Christmas
When it comes to the party left and the want to be the engine of renewal – the back of the SPD in the future, much further to the left. The labour market and social reform Agenda 2010 is abolished, and the Rich more will be taxed.
“We social Democrats are, the stand reliably on the side of the workers against unilateral capital interests, the neo-liberal ideology and the selfishness of multinational corporations”, calling on the SPD-Left in accordance with the “basic Convention” from the weekend. Claims, such as they are, however, also be found in the program of the left party and the newly founded left-hand collection of the move “rise Up servant,” the left politician Sahra car.
The state elections in Hessen, the SPD should provide further losses, will the Grand coalition of his opponents in the party no longer hold out. Then, both the government in Berlin as well as the SPD leadership to Andrea Nahles could quickly be history. For the SPD this may not be automatically the way to salvation. There would be new elections, then this could be for the social Democrats, the missing last step into the abyss.