Few have seen it coming: The former North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Finance Norbert Walter Borjans and the Member of Parliament Saskia Esken have prevailed as a new leadership duo at the SPD top. The actual favorites, however, failed: Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and the Brandenburg Klara Geywitz were subject with 45 to almost 53 percent of the vote.
The reactions to the decision came promptly. Christian Lindner, fraction leader of the FDP, was one of the first - and was surprised. "I'm completely flabbergasted," he shared on Twitter.
I'm completely baffled. CL #SPDPresident
- Christian Lindner (@c_lindner) November 30, 2019Whether the election of the new party executive will change the policy at the federal level is for the time being open. Coalition partner CDU stressed that the election does not change the previous decisions. "We look forward to a trusting cooperation for the benefit of our country," said Paul Ziemiak, Secretary General of the CDU. "The internal decision of the SPD has not changed anything on the basis of the Grand Coalition," continued Ziemiak.
"Our opponent want us to tear it"
Walter-Borjans and Esken received approval from the ranks of their own party - but also the clear demand for change. Juso CEO Kevin Kühnert described the task of the new party leadership as "historic". "Our opponents want it to tear us apart and we will not do them that favor," wrote Kühnert on Twitter.
The task of @spdde is a historical one. Our opponents want it to tear us apart. We will not do that favor to them. # Our SPD needs us ALL and our new tip @EskenSaskia and @NowaboFM now need you all too. With a new impetus to a new era!
- Kevin Kühnert (@KuehniKev) November 30, 2019Electoral loser Olaf Scholz congratulated Esken and Walter-Borjans. "The new leadership has my support," wrote Scholz on Twitter. Klara Geywitz also announced that she would continue to work for the strengthening of the SPD.
Jörg Carstensen / dpa
"It should be the last chance of the SPD"
Left Party leader Bernd Riexinger congratulated the SPD on the decision of the party base for the GroKo critics Walter Borjans and Esken. "The SPD and the country urgently needs left-wing politics instead of an ineffective GroKo-Schlingerkurs!" Tweeted Riexinger.
Others became clearer: Left-wing MP Niema Movassat wrote on Twitter that the SPD now has a chance to renew and return to social politics. "It should be the last chance of the SPD," added the politician.
Walter # Borjans and #Esken have won. My congratulations. The #SPD has with them the chance to renew themselves and to make social policies again. It should be the last chance of the SPD # SPDVorsitz
- Niema Movassat (@NiemaMovassat) November 30, 2019Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Anton Hofreiter, group leaders of the Greens, together sent their congratulations.
"We congratulate Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans on their primary vote and we wish them every success and look forward to a fair, objective and constructive cooperation."
