Speed - Holger Grießhammer is new chief of the SPD-Landtagsfraktion
Holger Grießhammer is the new chairman of the SPD-faction in the Bavarian Landtag. The largely unknown Oberfranken was unanimously elected with 16 votes into his office. His predecessor Florian von Brunn did not attend the session.
"Together we are stronger – that is my motto. I am firmly convinced that we as SPD will only be powerful if we also pull together within the faction," said Grießhammer after his election. Therefore, he will first hold talks with all employees and staff members of the office as well as the deputies. "Together we will then prepare for our autumn retreat."
The 42-year-old Grießhammer has been a member of the Landtag since the last election in October and was previously one of several deputy chairs. Grießhammer is a painter- and varnisher master and has been a member of the SPD since 2000. From 2008 to 2020, he was the second mayor of the city Weißenstadt.
Already in the previous week, Grießhammer, in the context of his application for the office, had stated that his goal was "for the Bavarian SPD to have more than 20 members again." However, he does not aim for leading positions in the Bavarian SPD at the moment.
Internal revolt
The election was preceded by an internal revolt against von Brunn. The background was disputes over the handling of a leading faction member who was paid a lot of money for overtime hours.
The faction had revoked von Brunn's trust in the meantime and demanded a new election. In the aftermath, von Brunn initially announced that he would not run for office again. He remains a member of the faction. Von Brunn also called for Grießhammer's election, as there was no other candidate.
On Monday, von Brunn then also resigned as SPD state chairman. Since then, his former co-chair Ronja Endres has been leading the crisis-ridden state association alone.
The SPD has been lagging in elections in Bavaria for years with values around 8 to 9 percent, far behind their own expectations. However, personnel new appointments have not been able to stop the steady downward trend so far.
Also newly elected was Volkmar Halbleib from Unterfranken as the new parliamentary business manager of the faction. He had held this function for several years. To Grießhammer's deputies were Arif Taşdelen from Mittelfranken, Anna Rasehorn from Schwaben, and Doris Rauscher from Oberbayern elected.
- Holger Grießhammer's new role as the SPD-faction chairman in the Bavarian State Parliament, located in Munich, follows the state election where he was unanimously elected.
- Florian von Brunn, the former SPD-faction chairman, was not present during the election session in the Bavarian Landtag, which is symbolic of Bayern.
- The election of Geißhammer as the new chairman was prompted by an internal revolt against von Brunn, due to disputes over the payment of overtime hours to a leading faction member.
- After his election, Grießhammer emphasized the importance of unity within the SPD faction, indicating his plans to hold meetings with staff members and deputies to prepare for the autumn retreat.
