From Hildburg Bruns
First trick, then sour. Chocolates made in Berlin for discarded SPD Senate members. Then broad attacks against the current party leaders Franziska Giffey (45) and Raed Saleh (45).
The first SPD party congress after the disastrous repeat election 104 days ago (only 18.4%). Casually overtaken by the CDU, just ahead of the Greens only number two in the capital. Just two out of twelve district mayors are comrades, just four out of 78 constituencies were conquered directly.
Clear to hear: The criticism of the Jusos got the loudest applause. Chairwoman Sinem Tasan-Funke radioed to country heads Franziska Giffey and Raed Saleh: “Not enough responsibility was taken for how the election turned out.” And: “Lack of self-criticism will take us nowhere.” You can vacate posts or do things radically differently do and show that you have learned something new. That hasn’t happened so far.
Berlin Juso boss Sinem Tasan-Funke Photo: Monika Skolimowska/dpa
The central demand of the party’s newcomers: The leadership of the party (7 comrades) should in future not be made up of officials such as state secretaries, senators, and parliamentary group leaders. It was only at the last minute that the Juso application also included the fact that the dual leadership in particular should not come entirely from this group of people.
That means the Giffey/Saleh duo won’t necessarily be sent to the desert together in a year’s time, but at least one should resign.
As a precaution, Giffey had already admitted that the party had to be broadened. 84 of the 268 delegates wanted to take a microphone during the discussion in the nhow Hotel on the banks of the Spree. In the vote, the Juso initiative then had a whopping majority (only one dissenting vote).
Saleh and Giffey give away chocolates to the former Senate members Photo: Hildburg Bruns
The consequences will only be seen in a year – the next party elections are not due until May 2024.
The first thing to do is work in the black-red government coalition. Giffey announced to be the left part of the coalition. “We have been crushed in the red-green-red last alliance. We were too often in a moderating role. The others have opened the maximum positions, we could not sufficiently show our strength, our profile. “Now they want to show that they stand for tenant protection, employee protection, climate protection.