SPD race for the presidency: Lange and Ahrens renounce to candidacy

The number of candidates for the SPD party presidency is shrinking: At the first regional conference of the party to present the candidates in Saarbrücken, the mayors of Flensburg and Bautzen, Simone Lange and Alexander Ahrens, withdrew their double application.

They wanted now "with all strength" to support the candidate team from the former NRW Minister of Finance Norbert Walter Borjans and the member of parliament Saskia Esken, said Lange. Walter Borjans and Esken fought "like no other for tax justice and more democracy," says a statement by the two.

"We have decided to support the already very good chances for the team and ask all who have strengthened us to this day to do so", write Lange and Ahrens on.

Now support for Walter Borjans and Esken

But both wanted to continue to participate in the regional conferences and continue campaigning - now just for another team, they said. Lange and Ahrens had previously campaigned to bring the SPD closer to the citizens again. Lange, a former criminal police officer, had started in April 2018 in the election of the party chairmanship against Andrea Nahles and had achieved a respectable success of almost 28 percent. Ahrens had left the SPD in the meantime, but resigned in 2017.

SPD regional conferences

Acting party leader Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel had previously opened the regional conference. "It's a competition for the best ideas that we lead on behalf of the country," he said.

SPD procedure for the party presidency

The schedule at a glance:

1st of July: Applications

From this day, teams of two or individual applicants may submit their candidacy for the SPD Chairmanship. For a candidacy they need the support of at least five sub-districts, a district or a national association.

September 1: Regional conferences

The application deadline ends. The candidates then present themselves in 23 regional conferences of the base. For five weeks, they can promote themselves among the members. The prelude is on 4 September in Saarbrücken, the final on 12 October in Munich.

October 14: Basic decision

The approximately 440,000 SPD members may elect their candidate or their team of candidates for the party leadership in a basic decision .

October 26: result of the membership vote

The result of the membership decision will be presented. If no candidate or double team receives over 50 percent of the votes, there should be a casting vote between the top two. The election is not legally binding , politically, the party congress is unlikely to pass the vote of the members.

December 6-8: Party Congress

The federal party convention of the SPD is coming together in Berlin. He should formally elect the winner of the membership decision to the SPD leadership - and decide on the midterm review of the Grand Coalition.

Schäfer-Gümbel was pleased about the great interest of the base. "The cabin is full, people are interested," he said. "Registration numbers are rising so fast that the halls booked so far are too small." According to Secretary General Lars Klingbeil, there were 600 applications for the inaugural event in Saarbrücken.