SPD in Düsseldorf Begins Fresh with New Agenda and Personnel Changes

SPD in Düsseldorf Begins Fresh with New Agenda and Personnel Changes

In the bustling city of Düsseldorf, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has unveiled a new municipal election program, placing emphasis on two key areas: affordable housing and economic development. The program, which has five main chapters, prioritizes living in affordable housing above all else.

The SPD aims to combat rising rents and housing shortages by significantly increasing the supply of affordable housing. This will be achieved through accelerating construction and utilising municipal land more effectively. The party also plans to implement policies to stabilize rents and protect tenants.

In the realm of economic development, the SPD intends to support local businesses, foster innovation, and create jobs. The party is committed to ensuring sustainable urban growth that benefits all residents. To achieve this, they plan to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through targeted support and innovations, encourage sustainable industries, and digital transformation to future-proof the local economy.

Dana Khosravi, a member of the SPD since 2006 and the head of Public Affairs & Digital Policy at an IT medium-sized company, is spearheading this initiative. Adis Selimi, the new chairman of the SPD district association Düsseldorf, born in Düsseldorf in 1994 and of Bosnian and Kosovar-Albanian descent, has also taken a prominent role. Selimi, who studied philosophy and history in Düsseldorf and completed his doctoral thesis at Heinrich Heine University (HHU) in the summer of 2024, currently works as a lecturer at HHU, teaching students of the Master's program Philosophy & Economics.

Marie Kirschstein, a communications manager at the Film and Media Foundation NRW and an SPD member since 2013, has also been elected as a deputy chair of the SPD district association Düsseldorf. Kirschstein, along with Khosravi, has emphasized the need for the SPD's politics to become more visible and approachable in the cityscape.

The SPD's new board in Düsseldorf is committed to securing industrial jobs and shaping the economic location in a social, sustainable, and future-oriented manner. They aim to make the economy a top priority again, improving the provision of mobility and the three pillars of security, cleanliness, and order in the outskirts.

The SPD sees itself as the party that can strengthen social cohesion, with the necessary changes, including those driven by climate change, must also be socially acceptable. The party has already made essential impulses, such as the school construction program, which is being led by the city council faction with Markus Raub and Sabrina Proschmann at the helm. Proschmann, already serving as co-chair of the SPD city council fraction, is ensuring social democratic accents in the city.

Adis Selimi has stated that the SPD Düsseldorf needs to start from scratch and pay more attention to networking with trade unions, works councils, and socially relevant groups. He emphasized that essential impulses in Düsseldorf are coming from the SPD, not the so-called "black-green majority." The SPD in Düsseldorf plans to build 8,000 apartments on municipal land to address the affordable housing crisis.

The SPD in Düsseldorf's new municipal election program reflects their broader commitment to social justice and economic resilience at the municipal level, ensuring that growth benefits broader segments of society. With the new leadership and focus on key issues, the SPD is poised to make a significant impact in Düsseldorf's future.

1. The SPD's new municipal election program, focusing on areas like affordable housing and economic development, encompasses policy-and-legislation aimed at combating rising rents through increased construction and utilization of municipal land, as well as stabilizing rents and protecting tenants.
2. The SPD in Düsseldorf plans to engage in politics by building 8,000 apartments on municipal land, emphasizing the need for politics to be more visible and approachable, and prioritizing social justice and economic resilience at the municipal level.

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