SPD Battles Against Potential Demotion
North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous federal state in Germany, serves as a crucial political battleground in the upcoming local elections on September 14. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is fighting to retain its former heartland, with the elections considered a major political mood test since the federal election in February.
Dirk Wiese, manager of the SPD parliamentary group, believes the party is strongly present and deeply rooted in North Rhine-Westphalia. He points to down-to-earth and pragmatic candidates like Frank Dudda, Sören Link, Andrea Henze, Ralf Paul Bittner, and Nicole Reschke as examples of the SPD's local strength.
One such candidate who stands out is Bärbel Bas, the SPD chairwoman from Duisburg. Bas, who won her own constituency in the February elections, is a beacon of hope for the SPD in Gelsenkirchen. She is also seen as a potential challenger to CDU Minister-President Wüst in future elections.
Bas, a prototype of a Social Democrat, has a working-class background and worked as a works council member before joining the SPD. Her active engagement in North Rhine-Westphalia political events and support for local SPD mayoral candidates boosts the party’s visibility and credibility in the region.
The SPD could land at 22 percent statewide, which is significantly better than their recent performance at the federal level, but still sobering for North Rhine-Westphalia. While the party managed to hold on in the Ruhr area in the February elections, the AfD is hot on their heels in this region.
Dirk Wiese compares the AfD to a wolf in sheep's clothing, suggesting they only have the interests of big capital in mind. Political scientist Norbert Kersting from the University of Münster agrees, stating it is unlikely that an AfD politician could move into a larger town hall in North Rhine-Westphalia due to the existing firewall of parties that rigorously distance themselves from the AfD.
According to a Forsa poll from early July, the CDU, SPD, and Greens could suffer losses in the local elections, while the AfD and Left could gain. However, the presence of candidates like Bärbel Bas and the SPD's focus on understanding everyday problems, down-to-earthness, and credibility could help the party maintain its presence in North Rhine-Westphalia.
In total, around 13.7 million people are eligible to vote statewide in North Rhine-Westphalia. The results of the local elections will provide valuable insights into the political mood of the region and the potential impact on future national elections.
[1] https://www.spd.de/person/b%C3%A4rbel-bas [2] https://www.spd.de/landesverbande/nrw/aktuelles/news/2021/b%C3%A4rbel-bas-besucht-spd-mayoral-candidates-in-nrw [3] https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/departments/ministries/ministry-of-labour-and-social-affairs/1786564
- The upcoming local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, a crucial political battleground, are considered a significant test of the political mood due to the presence of diverse politicians like Bärbel Bas, a potential challenger to CDU Minister-President Wüst and a beacon of hope for the SPD.
- Migration, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice are not the only topics of interest in North Rhine-Westphalia's politics, as the SPD is heavily focusing on understanding everyday problems, down-to-earthness, and credibility to maintain its presence.
- North Rhine-Westphalia's local politics is not only about policy-and-legislation and general-news; it also involves sports, with the premier-league, European leagues, and football playing significant roles in shaping city landscapes and attracting voters.
- The SPD's strength in North Rhine-Westphalia is evident through candidates like Frank Dudda, Sören Link, Andrea Henze, Ralf Paul Bittner, Nicole Reschke, and Bärbel Bas, who all exhibit the SP8's pragmatic and down-to-earth approach.
- While the AfD is rapidly gaining ground in North Rhine-Westphalia, especially in the Ruhr area, political analysts like Norbert Kersting argue that an AF candidate might face challenges moving into larger town halls due to the existing firewall of parties that distance themselves from the AfD.
