German politics were thrust into disarray late Saturday after a surprise decision by the Social Democrats (SPD) to elect a leadership duo that has expressed deep reservations over the party’s participation in Angela Merkel’s government.
SPD members elected Norbert Walter-Borjans, a former regional minister from North Rhine-Westphalia and Saskia Esken, a little-known MP from Baden-Württemberg, to take over the beleaguered party, which has been under interim management for six months.
The vote casts doubt on the viability of the so-called “grand coalition” with Merkel’s Christian Democrats, which has already come under severe strain amid deep divisions on issues such as taxes, welfare spending and defence, to name but a few.
Newly elected co-leaders of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), Norbert Walter-Borjans (L) and Saskia Esken (R) celebrate on stage after the announcement of the new SPD leadership vote results at the party’s headquarters in Berlin, Germany, 30 November 2019. The SPD on 30 November 2019 announced that Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans have won the run-off for party leadership against Klara Geywitz and Olaf Scholz. A party conference in December has to formally approve the new leadership. EPA-EFE/OMER MESSINGER
Walter-Borjans, who campaigned on a promise to demand major spending concessions from the Christian Democrats, said the new leadership’s first priority would be “to define a clear position vis-à-vis our coalition partner.”
The Christian Democrats responded by saying they had no intention of renegotiating the coalition agreement they sealed with the SPD last year. The agreement remained the “basis” for the coalition’s work, CDU Secretary-General Paul Ziemiak said.
