Saskia Esken had been the leader of the SPD for only a few hours when she emphasized one point in the ARD daily topics. She and co-chair designate Norbert Walter-Borjans planned on the issue of government coalition "not alone", but a common course with the parliamentary group and the SPD ministers. In plain English this means: Esken does not want a break from the Grand Coalition. For now at least.
One thing is certain: the SPD will be another party in the future. But what kind?
The concern over a coalition break after the surprising election of the new leadership duo at the head of the SPD is huge: "The election of Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter Borjans is a clear indication of the SPD base against a further-so the Grand Coalition," said the Secretary General of the CDU Economic Council, Wolfgang Steiger. And he warned that the Union should not "get involved in new utopian demands of the Social Democrats only for the sake of maintaining power".
CDU and CSU have already made enough advance payments in the past. CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer should make no further concessions, "even if that would result in a temporary minority government or even new elections," said Steiger.
"Regain political opinion leadership"
The German Trade Union Confederation called on the SPD to stick with the GroKo critics Esken and Walter Borjans at their head in the coalition with the Union. DGB leader Reiner Hoffmann told Bild am Sonntag: "Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans should do their utmost to support the government in the second half, in order to successfully implement the open projects under the coalition agreement." In addition, they would now have to programmatically renew the SPD "so that they regain political leadership in the country".
The President of the Federation of German Industry, Dieter Kempf, called for clarity of the new leadership: "The election results in the SPD creates further uncertainty in view of the continued existence of the grand coalition," he told the newspaper. "We can not afford lengthy hanging games in Berlin." He called for the responsibility of all parties to "quickly establish clear conditions, because there are still major challenges to overcome".
"You have to be prepared for everything now"
Saarland's Prime Minister Tobias Hans called the vote of the SPD base for the GroKo critics Esken and Walter Borjans problematic. "It fits in with the self-destruction mode of the SPD," said the CDU politician to the editorial network Germany (RND). For the Union: "Keep calm, but stay firm." Renegotiations to the coalition agreement will not exist.
The Lower Saxon CDU chairman Bernd Althusmann demanded that the SPD should be clear whether it adheres to the coalition. "The grand coalition may now be deciding on its continuation," he told the RND. Germany must be governed stably and reliably. "Anyone who wants to continue should say it clearly, who does not want that, should say it so honestly."
The CDU Bundestag deputy Axel Fischer said the dpa, the SPD base had opted for a significant left-pressure of their own party. "It has started the process of creative self-destruction, you have to be prepared for everything, we are prepared for anything."
"It's about the existence of the party now"
Former SPD leader Martin Schulz warned against leaving the grand coalition in a hurry. "My advice is to seek salvation not in the run from the government, but in the creative power of the SPD in the government," said the politician to the "Tagesspiegel." He referred to the major challenges in Europe and the assumption by Germany of the EU Presidency in mid-2020. "This is an order to lead the party, but also an order to the party to support it."
"It's about the existence of the party," said Schulz. Personal enmities would play too big a role in the SPD. "We have to stop talking publicly about each other," he said, adding, "A party that fights for respect, dignity, and tolerance, but acts inwardly intolerant, disrespectful, undignified, loses all credibility."