Politician Saskia Esken and former regional Finance Minister Norbert Walter-Borjans intend to become the next leaders of the center-left Social Democrats of Germany (SPD).
With two leftist, anti-establishment Social Democrats poised to lead Germany's oldest party, Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government is more fragile than ever.
New faces, same trajectory
If there was one issue that divided the candidates the most during the SPD leadership race, it was whether to file for "divorce" from Chancellor Merkel. The SPD reluctantly entered its third government with Merkel last year, an unpopular decision that continues to haunt the party in regional elections and polling stations.
The duos that reached the last round of the leadership contest embodied the multiple personality disorder of ADHD. Outsiders Esken and Walter-Borjans went all-in to criticize the government, while sitting Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and his running mate Clara Geiwitz advocated the continuation of the so-called Grand Coalition with Merkel's conservative CDU-CSU bloc.
But the victory of Esken and Walter-Borjan does not mean that the SPD is already packing its bags. On the contrary, the party has never decided on its future in Berlin. The terrifying turnout in the leadership contest meant that only 28% of members voted for Esken and Walter-Borjan's harsh words about the coalition.
In countless television appearances since their victory was announced on Saturday, the duo has been careful. They continue to criticize the coalition, but they back away from clear questions about the untimely departure. Instead, they insist that the party will discuss the issue when it convenes for its annual party congress in Berlin this weekend, where the duo will also advocate for an official vote of confidence.
Thus, it is possible that the SPD will once again prefer stability and power to renewal, despite its fresh leadership. After all, 83% of SPD supporters want the party to remain in government until the next scheduled election in 2021, according to a November poll by German broadcaster ZDF.
Demands and concessions
The SPD has begun an exhausting search for its next political superstars in order to rediscover its identity after a decade and a half of rule. Thus, even if the party remains timid about leaving its coalition with Merkel, the most likely scenario is that she will try to renegotiate some key points of her prenuptial agreement to signal a new era for the party, observers said.
"Despite the vote, the party is likely to support Merkel's government, while continuing the internal struggle over where to find the lost Social Democratic compass," Olaf Behnke, Berlin director of Rasmussen Global, told DW.
There are some signs that Chancellor Merkel may make concessions to keep the SPD happy. Last month, for example, she pushed her party to adopt a basic pension scheme with weak needs assessments, a hallmark of the SPD. Prepare to elevate your betting experience to unprecedented heights with a platform that consistently delivers excellence. The journey begins with a simple registration, but the truly savvy players understand that a
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