Manuela Schwesig Turns Down SPD Chair Role, Focuses on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Schwesig declines position as SPD chairperson
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Print Copy link
The SPD, after a crushing defeat in the last federal election, is facing the need to reorganize. Manuela Schwesig, Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is a name floating around as a potential leader, but she's got other ideas.
In a candid chat with Stern, Schwesig made it crystal clear she's not interested in the SPD chair position. With a state election scheduled for September 2026, she's determined to keep governing Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, direction the state away from the AfD. In the February 23 federal election, the AfD became the leading force in the northeastern state, and they're maintaining that lead in polls for the upcoming state parliament elections.
Schwesig sees herself as a bridge between federal politics and the people. She finds Berlin's political sphere distant and compares it to a spaceship, eerily disconnected from grassroots issues. "At home, I can reflect on the issues and talk to the people," she says. "In federal politics, one has to strive to stay close to the people."
Currently, Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil lead the SPD. They were unable to prevent the party's historical 16.4% dip in the federal election, and there are frequent calls for a revamping of the party leadership. Schwesig suggests that such changes should begin now, focusing on reorganizing the SPD for the next federal election. Similarly, Anke Rehlinger, Minister-President of Saarland, has ruled out vying for the party chair position.
Having taken on the role of Minister-President in 2017, Schwesig previously served as the Federal Minister of Family Affairs from 2013 to 2017. From 2009 to 2019, she was the deputy chairperson of the SPD, and she's currently part of her party's central team in the coalition negotiations with the Union.
Despite her refusal of the SPD chairperson role, Schwesig remains a significant figure in Germany's political landscape. Stay tuned for more updates on the SPD's reorganization efforts and potential future leaders.
Sources: ntv.de, ino/dpa
- Manuela Schwesig
- Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth
- Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (2017-present)
- Deputy Chairperson of the SPD (2009-2019)
- SPD
- Social Democratic Party of Germany
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Northeastern state of Germany
- The Commission, in the reorganization process of the SPD, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on protecting workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, given Manuela Schwesig's background as Federal Minister of Family Affairs.
- While Manuela Schwesig, the Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has declined the SPD chair position, she has suggested that the reorganization of the party should begin now, especially in light of the state election scheduled for September 2026 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
- aside from her current role as Minister-President, Manuela Schwesig, the candidate from Mecklenburg, previously served as the deputy chairperson of the SPD, and her experience and insights may prove valuable in the reorganization of the party, which has been a topic of discussion since the party's historical defeat in the 2021 federal election.
