Norbert Walter-Borjans no longer wants to run as head of the SPD. He said that Rheinische Post. “For me, the chairmanship was not associated with any further career planning from the outset, but the goal of getting the party on track,” says the 69-year-old. “With this mission, I have come so far that I can say: Now younger people should take it.”
A spokeswoman for the SPD confirmed that Walter-Borjans will not run again at the party conference in December. He has formed a management duo with Saskia Esken since 2019. The co-party chairman thanked him on Twitter for the time together. “The SPD is back and it is strong.” He went with the “good feeling, two years the SPD To have helped shape “, said Walter-Borjans. It is” not so often that party leaders have it in their own hands to determine the end of their office – especially in times of success “.
Esken and Walter-Borjans had presented themselves at 23 regional grassroots conferences in 2019 and prevailed against several other candidate teams in a member vote, where they could count on the support of left-wing parties such as the Jusos and skeptics of the grand coalition. Walter-Borjans was considered the more prominent part of the candidate team. As finance minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, he had previously gained nationwide fame through the purchase of tax CDs. As chairman, however, Esken was much more public.
Klingbeil could have a good chance
Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whom the party sent as a candidate for chancellor in the federal election that year, was one of the defeated applicants in the race for the party leadership. Contrary to the low polls that had persisted for years, the SPD increased significantly and emerged as the strongest force in the election. The Social Democrats are currently negotiating with the Greens and the FDP to form a traffic light coalition. Walter-Borjans and Esken are part of the SPD leadership team in the talks.
Esken wrote that the coalition negotiations would be “lead to a good success” together. Scholz also thanked him on Twitter for “the trustful cooperation and support over the past two years”. The success of the SPD is also thanks to Walter-Borjans.
Lars Klingbeil is considered a possible candidate for the successor. At the age of 43, the SPD general secretary belongs to the younger generation in the party leadership and should have a good chance of taking the chair after the successful election campaign.
Walter-Borjans for separation of SPD leadership and ministerial office
The outgoing SPD leader Walter-Borjans did not comment on a desired successor, but spoke out against the party leadership taking over ministerial offices in the cabinet. “A member of the government as a party leader is necessarily always a bit of a government spokesman,” said Walter-Borjans. The previous division of labor between the party chairmanship and the government office has proven itself.
Scholz has not yet refused the party leadership to participate in the cabinet. In one mirrors-Interview a few weeks before the election, he said: “In the SPD there are many ministries who take on leadership roles in the parliamentary group or the party.” This included “the chairmen too, of course”.
Walter-Borjans had already made it clear months ago that he neither wanted to move into the Bundestag nor aspire to a ministerial office. In the election campaign, he positioned himself clearly behind candidate for Chancellor Scholz. As party chairman, he tried to bring the party together internally, and the SPD leadership was hardly noticeable through public disputes. In contrast to earlier times, when the climate in the party leadership was considered toxic for years.