Candidate for party presidency
Walter-Borjans: Klingbeil can be imagined as SPD leader
Norbert Walter Borjans (left), Lars Klingbeil (center) and Saskia Esken. Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
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After Norbert Walter-Borjans announced his withdrawal, who will become the new leader of the Social Democrats? The Secretary General of the Social Democrats is given a good chance.
The outgoing SPD chairman Norbert Walter-Borjans considers General Secretary Lars Klingbeil to be a suitable candidate for the party chairmanship.
When asked whether he could imagine Klingbeil as the new party leader, Walter-Borjans told the editorial network Germany: “Of course I can. The cooperation between Saskia Esken and myself with Lars Klingbeil is close and good.” All options and all pending questions will be discussed together in the party leadership. “Then we’ll make a good proposal to the party.”
Esken shares the chairmanship with Walter-Borjans. After his withdrawal announcement, parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich asked her to resign if she wanted to become minister of a new government of the SPD, Greens and FDP. Esken wants to make a decision by Monday and then submit a proposal for the further procedure with Walter-Borjans.
Walter-Borjans pointed out in the interview that there is now a “much more open and respectful” culture of debate in the SPD than it used to be. «Alpha animal behavior is a thing of the past. It should stay that way, ”he said. The party’s electoral success has “to do not only with one candidate (Olaf Scholz) and two chairpersons, but with the willingness that everyone withdraws from time to time”.