Chancellor Olaf Scholz, SPD, is not heading to Braunschweig. Officially for scheduling reasons, but it definitely wouldn’t be a pleasant trip for him. The Jusos are meeting at their federal congress in the Lower Saxony city this weekend, and the majority of them are angry and disappointed. This becomes clear in the first few hours, when the two candidates who want to lead the party’s junior ranks introduce themselves on Friday afternoon.
“Change your course,” calls Philipp Türmer to the absent chancellor, “if something still reaches you in your castle, in your Berlin chancellery, if you still remember which party you ran for.” Scholz never used a word as often as “respect” during the federal election campaign. But it appalls him, says Türmer, how little the Chancellor does for the people for whom the Social Democrats actually want to make policy. “This is a bitter indictment for the SPD.”
Türmer’s competitor Sarah Mohamed accuses those in power of “racist incitement”.
After a combative speech by his competitor Sarah Mohamed about her experiences with racism and sexism, Türmer talks about the fight against Nazis and the responsibility for the people who are on their “hit list”. He warned the Chancellor, who in his view was keen on deportations, that the Social Democrats should never step down. “You are lost in a downward spiral.” Mohamed even accuses those in power of “racist incitement”.
Although Mohamed from Bonn has the large Juso regional association from North Rhine-Westphalia behind her, the well-connected Offenbach tower player ultimately wins the election. He has been with the Jusos for ten years, on the federal executive board for six years, and he has been preparing his campaign for a long time.
With the new boss, a self-image should be revived within the Jusos that was not particularly audible recently. As a member of the Bundestag, his predecessor Jessica Rosenthal was severely limited in her role conflict: on the one hand, chairwoman of the critical party youth, on the other hand, member of the government faction that provides and supports the Chancellor.
In a video message, the heavily pregnant Rosenthal is happy about numerous projects of the traffic light coalition: The Jusos have prevailed, for example, in the abolition of paragraph 219a, the legalization of cannabis, the introduction of citizens’ money and the guarantee of training places. But although the Young Socialists made up 49 of the 206 SPD MPs after the election in 2021, the left-wing uprising did not materialize. They were young, but not too wild.
In a rich country like Germany, there should be no poor child, says Türmer
Rosenthal’s successor, Türmer, is likely to work harder on Scholz in the remaining two years of the legislative period. His big themes are redistribution and the fight against capitalism. The 27-year-old first studied economics, then switched to law and is now doing his doctorate in criminal law.
In a rich country like Germany there shouldn’t be any poor children, says Türmer and shouts: “Finally redistribute!” The government’s “failure” in social policy is fatal and is driving people into the arms of the AfD. Scholz must make the fight against poverty and for distributive justice a “top priority”.
At the end of a week in which the federal government suddenly lacks 60 billion euros for climate projects following a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, Türmer demands: “Finally overturn this godless debt brake.” There is “no green zero with the black zero, even if the yellow zero has to disappear from the Ministry of Finance.” He means a balanced CO₂ balance, a balanced budget and Christian Lindner from the FDP.
Türmer analyzes that the political left has partially lost a common idea. As Juso boss, he wants to “fight for a social democracy that is once again a left-wing rallying movement.” He would like to “unite the various groups, from the climate movement to feminists to trade unions, behind the question of distribution”.
After a tough election campaign, Mohamed’s supporters reacted with disappointment and tears flowed. Reuniting the youth association should therefore be one of the first tasks of the new board.