Wolfratshausen's local SPD association has a new boss: Ingrid Schnaller.
In an interview, she talks about the federal election and how she wants to get young people excited about the SPD.
Wolfratshausen - The Social Democrats were not that euphoric for a long time: With the federal election, from which the SPD emerged as the strongest force, a long trough ended.
Only one week after the success at the federal level, there was a change in leadership in the Wolfratshauser SPD: Ingrid Schnaller is the new chairwoman (we reported).
In an interview with our volunteer Dominik Stallein, the 48-year-old speaks about how the local association and parliamentary group can be reconciled and how she wants to get young people excited about political work.
Schnaller also explains how the nationwide momentum should arrive in Loisachstadt.
Ms. Schnaller, you have probably chosen the best time in recent years to start your work. Or?
Schnaller:
That's right, the mood in the entire party was not that positive for a long time.
I would have taken over the local chairmanship if the general election had produced a different result.
When I was asked whether I could imagine the chairmanship, the world looked a little different: The SPD was in third place in the polls.
And yet I felt like going to work.
But it is certainly even nicer to be able to start the new task with a tailwind and a good mood.
SPD gets top result in Wolfratshausen
In Wolfratshausen in particular, the mood should be good: Here the SPD achieved its best result in the constituency. How do you explain that?
Schnaller:
There are several reasons.
It is generally the case that the SPD does better in the cities than in rural communities.
In some smaller municipalities, there are no longer any local associations of their own.
Our city councilors are well known in Wolfratshausen and they are all very involved in very different subject areas.
We were able to organize information stands before the general election, people came up to us.
That is a great advantage that we in Wolfratshausen have over other congregations.
Nevertheless, the SPD in Wolfratshausen lost a seat on the city council in the most recent local elections in 2020 ...
Schnaller:
... because the surveys at the federal level can never be completely separated from the local results.
In Wolfratshausen we were always a bit better than the national trend - now with the successful federal election, but also in the times when things looked worse for the Social Democrats in Germany.
Bundestag election: SPD on the rise - also in Wolfratshausen?
Right now your party is on the rise. Can you bring this momentum to Wolfratshausen?
Schnaller:
We don't have that in our own hands.
Much also depends on what the coalition negotiations bring, which issues the SPD is setting nationwide and how things then go.
One thing only works with the other.
For example: When an SPD Chancellor increases the minimum wage and thus makes housing more affordable for people from precarious backgrounds, interest in the SPD's political work on site also increases.
Her predecessor Peter Fasching has stated that the cooperation between the parliamentary group and the local association can be expanded. Ex-chairman Hans Gärtner also emphasized this when he stepped down in 2016. Why are the parliamentary group and the local association so incompatible?
Schnaller:
They are not incompatible.
I am convinced that cooperation can be improved.
It is often about mutual understanding.
Our city council members are much deeper into the practical work and know backgrounds that a normal party member may not always have at hand.
But you can work on improving understanding for one another.
How are you going to do it?
Schnaller:
I could, for example, imagine working groups that each take on their own topics. This is also more attractive for many members: everyone has ideas, projects or topics that are particularly important to them personally and for which they would like to campaign. That is not to say that the parliamentary group and the local association will have to agree on every issue in the future. The nice thing, but also the difficult thing about democracy, is that you can have different opinions - and both sides can still be right. However, in the general election we saw how valuable it can be when the SPD appears as a team and demonstrates unity, even if one may not always agree on detailed issues.
One problem that worries many parties is the lack of young talent. How do you approach this topic?
Schnaller:
That will definitely be a challenge.
But here too I believe that the project-related work is helpful.
Because many young people simply have special concerns that are in focus.
And they should be able to contribute to that.
Incidentally, even if you do not want to become a member of the SPD immediately.
Maybe we have to think about alternatives to the classic monthly get-together.
Young people often find other event formats more appealing.