Dispute over candidacy for chancellor
Juso boss accuses SPD leadership of weeks of “shit show”.
Updated 11/22/2024Reading time: 4 min.
The decision on the SPD’s K question was onyl made after an agonizing debate. The Jusos are now using harsh words to blame the party leadership.
The Jusos responded to the tough and controversial debate about the SPD candidacy for chancellor with sharp criticism of the party leadership. At the start of the youth association’s federal congress in Halle an der Saale, Juso boss Philipp Türmer denied the leadership ability of party leaders Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil. “It can’t go on like this. What a shit show it actually was in the last few weeks,” he said to the SPD leadership to applause from the 300 delegates.
Discussions are crucial, but they must be “properly moderated and guided”. “And dear Saskia, dear Lars: regrettably, at no point in the last few weeks did I have the impression that you had control over this process or control of the discourse over the party or even a clear plan.”
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The party’s starting position was not easy even before the candidate debate. “But now it has become even more challenging,” said Türmer. After the coalition break and the new election decision, the party leadership decided not to immediately nominate Chancellor Olaf Scholz as candidate for chancellor.
This has led to a debate over the past two weeks about replacing the much more popular Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. It was only ended on Thursday when Pistorius renounced his candidacy.On Monday, the board wants to nominate Scholz as candidate for chancellor. “To be honest: yesterday’s result could have been achieved two weeks ago,” said Türmer.
The Juso boss did not comment on the question of whether Scholz or Pistorius is the better candidate. “None of you joined this party because of Boris or Olaf,” he said to the Jusos. Rather of clearly supporting Scholz, Türmer called for everything to be done to prevent a CDU chancellor, friedrich Merz.We must prevent “this neoliberal guy from becoming chancellor.”
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The Jusos make up almost a quarter of the members of the Bundestag. With Türmer’s harsh words, the candidate debate that got out of hand now has repercussions. After the decision in favor of Scholz,Klingbeil called for a united front in the election campaign: “If the SPD can do something,then that is fighting,” he said at a municipal congress in Berlin. He defended his approach to the K question. Of course there has to be discussion within the party. “I’m a party leader who doesn’t just say that’s it, but I also wont to listen to the party, I also want to take seriously what is being discussed.”
On Saturday,party leader Esken,general secretary Matthias Miersch and deputy party leader and labor minister Hubertus Heil are expected at the juso congress in Halle.
Scholz also gave his first speech after the K question had been clarified at the municipal congress in Berlin in front of a good 100 participants. In it he reiterated his no to the delivery of the Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine, called for a reform of the debt brake and for more affordable housing. He didn’t say a word about the quarrels surrounding the decision about the candidacy for chancellor.
The party conference on January 11th will have the last word, where the party will line up for the election on February 23rd. “On this date we want to show what we stand for and how we can continue to lead this country,” said Scholz in his speech. The SPD should also build on the successes it has achieved so far. Scholz did not address the difficult starting position with a gap of up to 19 percentage points to the Union. But he tried to encourage himself and his party with a joke: the election would take place on the birthday of party leader Lars Klingbeil and his wife Britta Ernst. “So it must go well.”
The first topic Scholz addressed was the war in ukraine and reiterated his course of “prudence”. It was right to make Germany the most critically important supporter of Ukraine after the USA, he said. But it is also about preventing a war between Russia and NATO. ”I did.” He called the use of Russian medium-range missiles “a terrible escalation” and made it clear that he would not back down from his rejection of the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles.
What are the main challenges currently facing the SPD in terms of leadership and party unity?
Interviewer: Welcome to Time.news! today, we have with us political analyst Dr. Lisa Müller, an expert in German politics and party dynamics.Lisa, thank you for joining us.
Dr. Müller: Thank you for having me! I’m excited to discuss the current tensions within the SPD.
Interviewer: Let’s dive right in. Recently, Juso leader Philipp Türmer made some harsh accusations against the SPD leadership, calling their handling of the chancellor candidacy a “shit show.” What do you think has led to such a public outburst?
Dr. Müller: Türmer’s comments reflect deep frustration within the party, particularly among the youth faction.The SPD has faced several challenges recently, including coalition breakdowns and leadership visibility issues.The lack of direction from prominent figures like Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil has certainly compounded these frustrations. Members expect strong,unifying leadership,especially during tumultuous times.
Interviewer: Absolutely.Türmer also indicated that the SPD’s leadership failed to “properly moderate and guide” discussions surrounding the candidacy. Why is effective moderation so crucial in such internal debates?
Dr. Müller: Proper moderation in party discussions is vital for maintaining cohesion and preventing fragmentation of support. It allows for a structured dialogue where all voices are heard, leading to a collective strategy rather than infighting. Without it, the party risks creating factions that could ultimately weaken their standing in elections.
Interviewer: It seems that there was a significant delay in nominating Chancellor Olaf Scholz. How has this hesitance impacted the party’s stability?
Dr. Müller: That delay has certainly left many members feeling uncertain about the party’s trajectory. While there was speculation surrounding more popular figures like Boris Pistorius, a lack of timely decisions can led to further internal disputes and loss of public confidence. Members were left questioning not just the nomination, but the broader strategic vision of their leadership.
Interviewer: Türmer emphasized the need to “prevent a CDU chancellor.” How does this sentiment reflect broader electoral concerns within the SPD?
Dr. Müller: This underscores a prevailing anxiety within the SPD about losing ground to the CDU, especially with Friedrich Merz potentially looking to capitalize on this discontent.The party’s grassroots members often see themselves as the defenders of social democratic values, and the urgency to unite behind a single candidate speaks to their desire to avoid a swing to the right in German politics.
Interviewer: Lastly, Türmer refrained from directly endorsing either Scholz or Pistorius. What implications does this neutrality have for party unity going forward?
Dr. Müller: His neutrality can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it shows an awareness of internal divisions; on the other, it may suggest a lack of commitment to a particular leader. This indecision could contribute to further fragmentation if members feel their preferences aren’t clearly represented. the SPD will have to navigate these tensions carefully to foster unity leading up to the election.
Interviewer: Thank you,Lisa. Your insights are invaluable as we observe these developments in the SPD. we’ll be keeping a close eye on how this candidacy dispute unfolds.
Dr. Müller: Thank you for having me! It will certainly be engaging to see how these dynamics evolve in the coming weeks.