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Esken wants to run again as head of the SPD
The SPD co-chair Saskia Esken wants to run again for the party leadership. The 60-year-old politician announced this to the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” on Thursday. “I have … decided to renew my application for the highest office in the party,” she said, referring to the SPD party congress at the beginning of December. “The SPD is united, successful and strong as it has not been for years. I would like to continue on this path.” So far, Esken had also been acted as a possible minister in a traffic light government. The announced withdrawal of SPD co-leader Norbert Walter-Borjans had triggered a personnel debate among the Social Democrats. For the dual leadership, a candidacy from SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil is deemed to have been set. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig was also traded for the post of SPD co-leader. Next Monday, the party committees want to submit a personnel proposal to the delegates at the SPD party congress. SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich had backed Walter-Borjans’ position on Deutschlandfunk at the weekend that the party leaders should not be represented as ministers in the federal government. Esken insisted on the party’s independence two years ago.
The 60-year-old politician announced this to the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” on Thursday.