Intra-party attack on SPD candidate: top-level coalition with solidarity with Klara Geywitz

For the old wisdom "friend - enemy - party friend" the SPD has given a new example. Harald Sempf, treasurer of the party in Brandenburg, said the SPIEGEL, his party colleague Klara Geywitz lack "the ability to close". Where the warmth of the heart, which is attributed to Geywitz, was to come, was a mystery to him. Geywitz "could also lead a 10,000 poultry farm from the interpersonal warmth."

Although Sempf also said that Geywitz was "a sober, clear-thinking analyst who is witty, intellectual, speaks several foreign languages". But she was not the right one for the first row. The politician applies together with Olaf Scholz for the SPD top - as one of seven duos.

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Sempf's statements are met with considerable criticism within the party. "I rarely twitter anything personal," wrote Katarina Barley, vice-president of the European Parliament. But Geywitz is "one of the loveliest, most humorous and decent people I've met in politics." Similarly expressed Sawsan Chebli, plenipotentiary of the State of Berlin at the federal government. She got to know Geywitz "as an incredibly empathic and kind-hearted colleague, hoping the stuff from her colleague will leave you cold."

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SPD general secretary Hubertus Heil neither explicitly named Geywitz nor Sempf, but tweeted among the Hashtags #fairbleiben and # our SPD a poster with a quote by the writer Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach: "A clever woman has millions of born enemies - all stupid men."

To think about. #fairbleiben #unsereSPD pic.twitter.com/eHEwc8Ai9C

The SPD Bundestag MP Kerstin Griese wrote on Twitter, the race for the SPD presidency was "characterized by fairness and solidarity competition." Therefore "solidary greetings" to Geywitz. Grieses SPD Bundestag colleague Johannes Kahrs tweeted: "There should some ashamed!" Later Kahrs spread Chebli's message. The SPD youth politician Lilly Blaudszun wrote: "To offend candidates is antisocial and we should rather be thankful that these people spend a lot of time and energy for our party."

The Jusos in Brandenburg demanded Sempf's resignation from the treasurer's office: "The barrel was full for a long time, now it has not just brought a drop, but a whole canister to overflow." Sempf had made a number of lapses in the tone. "That's why we say: enough, Harald!"

Jusos Brandenburg demand the immediate resignation of SPD treasurer Harald Sempf

The barrel was full for a long time, now it has brought not just a drop, but a whole canister to overflow. pic.twitter.com/ah16m7vh1l

Brandenburg's SPD General Secretary Erik Stohn said that he had experienced the process of selecting the SPD national presidency as open, participatory, motivating and fair. "I hope the process remains so respectful." The SPD Brandenburg was happy and proud that with Geywitz also someone from their own ranks for election.

Sempf defended his choice of words. "This is about the leadership of the party, because you just set standards," he told the German Press Agency.