The SPD chairman Norbert Walter-Borjans wants to give up his office.He will at the party congress on 11.December not apply for the party chairmanship, said Walter-Borjans of the "Rheinische Post" according to Friday.He had managed the SPD in a double tip with Saskia Esken since 2019.
"For me, no further career planning was associated with the chair from the outset, but the goal of bringing the party on course," said Walter-Borjans of the newspaper."With this mission I got so far that I can say: now younger people should go."He had therefore asked the board of his North Rhine-Westphalian state association to waive his renewed nomination.
He goes with the "good feeling of having shaped the SPD for two years," said the 69-year-old."During this time we showed that we can hold together and be successful with social democratic politics.After many years we are the leading size in German politics again."He did not comment on possible successors.
KommentarVotum about SPD chairmanship of the rest of the restrictions
Division of labor at the SPD has proven itself
Walter-Borjans, on the other hand, turned that the future party leadership goes into the new cabinet."A government member as party leader is necessarily always a piece of government spokesman."The previous division of labor - party leader on the one hand and government office on the other - has proven itself.
Walter-Borjans took over the leadership of the SPD together with the co-boss Saskia Esken two years ago after the previous party leader Andrea Nahles withdrew from politics.Walter-Borjans and Esken brought the chancellor candidacy of the previous Federal Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz, with which the SPD became the strongest force in the Bundestag election.
Scholz: "Dear Norbert, I'm infinitely grateful to you"
SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz thanked party leader Norbert Walter-Borjans after his withdrawal announcement for "the trusting cooperation and the support in the past two years"."Together with Saskia Esken, Lars Klingbeil and Rolf Mützenich, we have led the SPD to new successes - that is also your earnings," Scholz wrote on the Internet service on Friday.Walter-Borjans had previously announced that he would not compete again at the party congress in December.
"Dear Norbert, I am infinitely grateful to you for the time together," wrote Ko party leader Esken on Twitter also.In her contribution, however, she did not comment on whether she would like to apply for another term as a SPD chairman.
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"The SPD is back and it is strong," Esken only wrote with a view to the success of the Social Democrats in the Bundestag election."Together we will lead this path to good success in the coalition negotiations," she further announced.
Mützenich regrets resignation
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich said in Berlin that he took the announcement of Walter-Borjans "with regret, but at the same time with understanding"."At the end of 2019 he took over the party chair" together with Saskia Esken in an extremely difficult time ".Hardly anyone expected that the SPD would have the opportunity to lead a new government from the top two years later.
"This success also has a lot to do with his work," said Mützenich, the merits of Walter-Borjans.He emphasized that the party leaders had managed "that the SPD maintained its independence while it was part of the grand coalition".Mützenich also clarified that Walter-Borjans would continue to "make a decisive factor in the coalition negotiations with the Greens and FDP.
