For a long time, the race for the SPD presidency lingered on. This was already ensured by the large number of applicants and the amount of joint performances. But a key reason for the tragedy was Olaf Scholz: Stoisch smiled the vice-chancellor, who was with Klara Geywitz from the beginning as a favorite, at the regional conferences all attacks away. His strategy seemed to consist mainly of dodging and hugging.
That changed on Tuesday evening. In the second duel of the candidates in the ballot Scholz switched suddenly to attack. The man, who still hangs from his secretary-general's nickname "Scholzomat", attacked the opposing candidates Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans, interrupted them, contradicted and seemed several times seriously indignant. His key message: Only if the SPD acts reasonably, it has chances in elections.
The discussion in the Willy-Brandt-Haus, this time without an audience, was only a few minutes long, when Scholz rumbled on for the first time. The trigger: criticism of Esken and Walter-Borjans Grundrent compromise of GroKo. The ex-Finance Minister of North Rhine -Westphalia had criticized that a blockade of the Union had the SPD "prevented from making it really worthy for all." Scholz's reply: "If the SPD has just achieved a huge success, it makes no sense to mince it."
He wished for a "militant SPD", who could trust himself and was proud of what he had achieved, said Scholz. Walter-Borjans seemed taken by surprise: No question, the land rent is a "milestone," he praised. Which led Geywitz to reiterate what "huge bargaining power" it had been to sack the union over the basic rent more than was in the coalition agreement. Has negotiated - among others - Olaf Scholz.
In the course of the duel, it seemed as if Scholz had fun with the unusual offensive spirit. When Esken described the coalition's climate decisions as "climate packages", Scholz countered that these were almost unanimously accepted by the SPD faction, so they could not be that bad. As "completely wrong" he rejected allegations that the climate package was not socially fair.
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SPD candidates Olaf Scholz, Klara Geywitz, Norbert Walter Borjans, Saskia Esken: Clear alternative
Also Esken did not let up and seemed to have fun at handing out, it developed a real exchange of blows. The confrontation showed that the SPD members have a choice between two clear alternatives.
Scholz and Geywitz stand clearly for the continuation of GroKo. Walter Borjans and Esken find that the SPD can not continue in the face of the crash to 13 to 15 percent as before. In the GroKo question they do not pronounce themselves clearly for an exit. Esken, however, demanded that the coalition agreement with the Union be renegotiated.
Scholz has the most to lose
Many in the party have been waiting for polarization. But so far Scholz did not play, even in the SPIEGEL debate, the first meeting of the teams in the runoff election, he was more reluctant. What has changed?
One thing is certain: as the only one of the four candidates, Scholz really has something to lose. The political career of Walter-Borjans seemed already over, before the candidacy he toured with a book about his fight against tax evaders across the country. Esken as a member of parliament and Geywitz as a former member of parliament win with their candidature in any case to profile. Scholz, on the other hand, is the vice-chancellor; he intends to compete as a chancellor candidate at the next general election.
For this he must first become party chairman. That this is not a self-run, has shown the first round of the membership decision. Scholz and Geywitz only just landed in first place, many voters of the four losing teams could decide in the ballot for Walter-Borjans and Esken, it said in the party.
Scholz and Geywitz should now try to reach the non-voters: just about 53 percent of the SPD members participated in the first round. To mobilize enough support from the remaining 47 percent, polarization is needed. Ex-party leader Martin Schulz recently said in the SPIEGEL double interview that he wanted Scholz to leave the "vice-chancellor in the vice-chancellor's office" - that is, to play less state-sponsored.
Scholz fulfilled this request on Tuesday evening.
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