SPD Groups Oppose Lars Klingbeil’s Re-Election as Leader

According to information obtained by "Der Spiegel," a broad alliance of working groups has formed within the SPD to prevent Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil from running again for party chairman. - AFP

A broad alliance of groups within Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has reportedly formed to prevent Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil from running for party leader again, according to Der Spiegel. The news magazine quoted two motions submitted for the SPD party conference in January in a preliminary report published on Saturday.

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Separation of Party and Government Roles

“Under the current circumstances, the chairmanship of the SPD at the federal level must not be held simultaneously with a ministerial position within the federal government,” the first motion states, according to Der Spiegel.

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The motion is reportedly backed by the Working Group for Labour (AfA), SPD Women, the 60+ Working Group, the Working Group on Migration and Diversity, the Working Group on Education, and the SPDqueer Working Group.

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The SPD must once again strengthen its political independence, programmatic credibility and ability to act as the party representing working people, the magazine quoted the motion as saying. To achieve this, it argues that “a clear organisational and personnel separation between the leadership of the party and the holding of government positions at the federal level” is necessary.

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Jusos Call for a Female Party Leader

The SPD's youth organisation, the Jusos, goes a step further in a similarly worded motion, calling for a woman to serve as the party's sole chair, Der Spiegel reported. According to the report, the motion states that women's representation in top leadership positions must be ensured. “The strongest instrument for achieving this would be a female sole leader, which we would expressly welcome,” the motion states.

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Klingbeil Yet to Confirm His Candidacy

Following Bärbel Bas's resignation as Federal Labour Minister and SPD co-chair on 12 October, her fellow party leader Lars Klingbeil left open the question of whether he would run for the leadership position again. The election of the new SPD party executive is scheduled to take place at the party's regular national conference on 16 and 17 January in Bremen.

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