The day before their big appearance, the two newcomers look quite relaxed. "Very lively" was the discussion in the party executive committee, says Saskia Esken, which is to lead the SPD with Norbert Walter Borjans in the future. The main request for the congress was a "good compromise", even if it was "not the pure doctrine" of what the two wanted.
Walter-Borjans also speaks twice before the Willy Brandt House of "compromise lines". It was always a question of "that we want to end up together, that we want to build bridges".
On Friday morning begins the party convention of an SPD, which is another party since last weekend. Esken and Walter-Borjans had prevailed against Olaf Scholz and Klara Geywitz in the membership decision. And thus almost against the entire party establishment, which had set for a victory of the Vice Chancellor and the Brandenburg.
In recent days, however, the two victors experienced a shock of reality: they had to weaken their GroKo skeptical attitude significantly - the risk of a split was too large.
Instead of renegotiating with the Union, the lead application only mentions "talks about the new projects". These should be led by the new chairmen together with the fractional leader Rolf Mützenich and Scholz. The old SPD, the government SPD continues to talk. In the end, then the party executive "to evaluate whether the urgent tasks in this coalition are to be mastered". A deadline is not mentioned in the application.
Fabrizio Bensch / REUTERS
Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken: Danger of the split was too big
After the initial resentment about soft-flushed positions became loud, some demands were sharpened again in the sense of the future top duo compared to a draft at the beginning of the week:
- Thus, the SPD target of a minimum wage of twelve euros is now explicitly in it again.
- The climate protection package should be improved, especially with regard to a "socially just and effective CO2 price". There should be a social balance "that works evenly for everyone". This is not the case, for example, with the increase in the commuter allowance.
- In addition, the SPD demands "massive investments in public infrastructure". It is called an order of 450 billion euros within ten years. This "additional need" had been calculated by economic institutes.
The motion is characterized by the effort to bring together coalition critics as well as advocates, including above all the federal ministers of the SPD and large parts of the Bundestag faction.
Duel for a vice
Esken and Walter Borjans are to be elected chairmen on Friday afternoon. About one of the three Vizeposten is on a fight vote. Juso CEO Kevin Kühnert, the most prominent critic of the Grand Coalition, and Labor Minister Hubertus Heil apparently want to compete against each other. Cabinet member against GroKo opponents, it's a proxy fight of the old against the new SPD. How the duel ends is completely open. Can Kühnert expand his power - or is he for the time being thwarted?
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There were considerations in the party executive to prevent the showdown and increase the number of deputies to four. That found no support. But it is possible that the party congress decides otherwise.
For two more deputies, the party executive proposed the Saarland Vice President Anke Rehlinger and Klara Geywitz, which was defeated with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz member vote. Secretary-General Lars Klingbeil, Treasurer Dietmar Nietan and European Commissioner Udo Bullmann are to be confirmed as further members of the narrow party leadership.
A vote on the continuation of the coalition is not provided for in the lead application. However, it is expected that there are applications that demand exactly that. As things stand, hardly anyone in the party leadership expects that there could be a majority of delegates.
But since last Saturday we know that in the SPD is currently little sure.
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