EU forecasts deemed "disappointing outcome" by Klingbeil.
As initial findings suggest, the SPD could only garner approximately 14% of the votes - a 2% decrease compared to 2016 and a significant decrease compared to the last federal election in 2021. Kühne remarked, "We'll have to tackle the matter of why we failed to mobilize support."
Barley expressed dismay on ZDF about the absence of a "democracy movement" for the SPD at the start of the year. In addition, the lack of federal political support due to low SPD popularity negatively impacted the party.
In response to the low approval ratings for Olaf Scholz, the SPD's chancellor, Esken stated on ZDF that he had "our trust."
Former SPD chairman, Sigmar Gabriel, encouraged the party to take action. He believed a discussion was necessary concerning the party's flawed political approach. Gabriel said, "We can't just blame circumstances, weather, or the media anymore." The population currently supports the coalition government, Gabriel remarked, stressing that the election results were a "slap in the face" for the traffic light coalition.
General Secretary Kühne exhorted his party to "examine our own shortcomings." Although, he confirmed that this doesn't mean they would "disintegrate and dissolve completely." He emphasized, "We'll return."
Concerning the SPD's position in the traffic light coalition, Kühne acknowledged the challenge. As the strongest force, they are expected to "oversee the coalition's order," but at the same time, voters expect the SPD to "establish a clearer identity." It's difficult to strike a balance between the two, and Kühne identified the upcoming budget discussions as the next test, where the SPD intends to "make its contribution to investing in this nation," ensuring adequate financial resources.
