She has not forgotten. Almost ten years ago, Franziska Drohsel was chairman of the Jusos, but when she stands on the microphone at the SPD party congress in Berlin, she delivers a fiery speech as at her best.
It's about the question of how the SPD wants to keep up with the Grand Coalition. Whether she stays in, at least for now, and talks to the Union again about some points that are not too sharply formulated - just as the new party leaders and with them the previous board want. Or if the SPD goes out, without negotiations and ifs and buts. That is what Drohsel wants.
"Looking back on the past ten years, I wonder, where is the renewal?" She shouts. "Where is the departure of content? Where is the property tax?" Loud applause.
Fabrizio Bensch / REUTERS
Now, calls Drohsel, the election of Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans, this "new start in terms of personnel", with a "substantive reorientation" connect. "We must finally dare to say what we want without constraints, without those fears that are always in the room, but bravely and consistently stand up for what the Social Democracy was founded for."
And for that, she says, the grand coalition must be ended. It is a powerful performance.
And it follows: nothing. Or almost nothing.
Most of the speakers after her see things completely differently. Even a Young Socialist, who two years ago spoke passionately against the grand coalition, now suddenly advertises to agree to the request of the party leadership, so to stay and a little bit to negotiate. Even Juso CEO Kevin Kühnert, once spokesman for the No-GroKo campaign, does not want to get out right now. He also promotes the request of the party leadership.
Was what?
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It's bizarre: For two years now, the Social Democrats and the Grand Coalition have been quarreling about the question of whether black and red can continue, and the SPD internal election campaign has also dominated. On Saturday, two comrades were chosen with whom the Groko opponents hopes, but now it turns out that everything is not so easy. It should go on now somehow, at least once.
Very painful
The Social Democrats now want to talk to the Union about whether the coalition agreement can be adapted. What happens if that is not possible is not really clear. It is quite possible that the problem is only postponed and that the torments in the coalition simply continue. But for the moment, many people in the SPD leadership are taking a step from their hearts. Esken and Walter-Borjans have gained some time.
With their victory, the new duo and the GroKo opponents to Juso boss Kevin Kühnert are suddenly responsible. They have realized that an immediate exit from the coalition could split the party.
In addition: A quick break without negotiations could accelerate the crash of the SPD drastically - instead of ending it. Even hardened GroKo opponents say the time for a premature end to the Alliance was missed last year.
Walter-Borjans seemed to have already internalized this during the inner-party election campaign. He expressed significantly less GroKo-critical than Esken. The new SPD leader also appears more aggressive on Friday. The threat of CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to lay the ground rent because of the discussion in the SPD on ice, called Esken "really disrespectful". She remains skeptical about the Alliance with the Union: "We still give the coalition a chance."
It's an indication of what the roles of the two could look like. He integrates, she shares.
Maybe a little reboot?
Whether the SPD decision will permanently pacify the situation in the grand coalition is therefore questionable. The starting position looks like this: The new duo will hardly be able to return with very empty hands from the talks with the Union. But any concession made by the Union of the SPD is likely to cause further upset in the CDU and CSU.
If it goes well, the coalition could make a small restart. Esken and Walter-Borjans want to invest more and change the climate package, there are reasons for both, and also from the point of view of the Christian Democrats, it could make sense to lighten up a few billion euros more for digitization. Difficult it is the core concern of Esken and Walter Borjans to take leave of the principle of the black zero. One may assume that the Chancellor - incidentally also Finance Minister Olaf Scholz - have no interest in changing their course at this point.
Nevertheless, the SPD duo may just have the fiscal policy in view to work on a social democratic profile with which it will draw in the election campaign. Both partners are burdened with high profiling pressure anyway. But the closer the next federal election comes, the less the Union and the SPD can treat each other. Peaceful governance is virtually unthinkable from now on.
And who knows: If the Union blocks all proposals of the SPD, the ball would probably back faster than Esken and Walter Borjans, as they believe. The lead application foresees that the results of the "talks" with the CDU and CSU must be evaluated by the party executive. He is then no longer the old, on the SPD part in the Federal Government could always rely on, but a possibly more critical.
It is 6.20 pm, the party congress voted on the lead motion. Large majority, short applause. It looks as if nothing had happened.
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