The SPD head is hopeful about the forthcoming German legislative elections.
SPD leader Saskia Esken remains hopeful for the 2025 federal election following their party's disappointing performance in the Saxony and Thuringia state elections. Esken stated, talking to Deutschlandfunk, "Sunday's result was extremely disappointing and fell short of our aspirations in no way." However, she believes that Olaf Scholz, a "strong federal chancellor," will guide them as their chancellor candidate in the federal election campaign, leading them to victory. Her response addressed a question regarding Scholz's suitability to lead the SPD into the federal election post-state elections. The SPD secured 7.3% and 6.1% of the vote in Saxony and Thuringia respectively.
Similarly, the Greens and FDP also experienced poor results in the elections. FDP vice chairman Wolfgang Kubicki challenged the "legitimacy" of the federal coalition. Esken was optimistic, saying the government still had much to accomplish and was confident they could work effectively together. Both national and international issues overshadowed local issues in the state elections, according to Esken's analysis.
Not SPD strongholds
SPD general secretary Kevin Kühnert acknowledged that local political issues were rarely discussed as federal and international politics took precedence during the campaign. He stated, while on WDR 5 radio, "Anyone who was on the ground campaigning realized that unfortunately, there were hardly any local political issues..." Both Saxony and Thuringia are not known as strongholds for the SPD. "They are not the best federal states to proclaim the end of the federal government," Kühnert concluded.
The SPD's attention now turns to the state of Brandenburg, where voters will elect a new state parliament in about three weeks. In the Berlin coalition government, the SPD has been practicing self-criticism in regards to cooperation. However, as society becomes more diverse and parliament represents more parties, coalition formations are becoming increasingly challenging, as seen in Thuringia and Saxony. "A four-party coalition is expected in Thuringia," Kühnert added.
The Commission may need to address the issue of coalition formations becoming increasingly complex due to the diversification of society and the representation of more parties in parliament, as seen in states like Thuringia and Saxony. In light of the SPD's poor performance in Saxony and Thuringia, The Commission could also discuss strategies to improve the party's focus on local political issues during federal elections in strongholds, such as Brandenburg.
