Why did the German Spd party do so badly in the elections? – DW – 04/03/2025

The day after the parliamentary elections of Hamburg on Sunday, March 2, cautious optimism was in the air at the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Berlin. “The result made us smile,” said the co -president of the party, Saskia Esken.

The SPD won 33.5% of the votes in Hamburg, more than double its federal federal elections of February 23, only 16.4%. That was the worst federal result of the SPD elections since 1887, when the party of the socialist workers of Germany was still called. The choice of Bundestag reflects a depressing trend, for decades for the party.

The 25.7% participation of the SPD in the latest federal elections in Germany in 2021, now seems to have been an anomaly. At that time, opinion polls had put the party at 15% for months. His surprising return was due to crucial errors by his main rival, the Central Central Democratic Party (CDU). Those inside the spd ranks described it later: “We thought we had won, but it was only that the others had lost.”

How could the oldest political party in Germany, 160 years old, be in this depression? As one of Germany’s two main games, it has produced influential German Chancellor, playing a decisive role in the configuration of Ostpolitik and other milestones in postwar Germany.

Who still votes for the SPD?

The February federal elections reveal the support demography for the SPD. He obtained most votes (20%) of those over 60, but only 12% of younger people between the ages of 18 and 34.

The party lost around 1.7 million of its voters before the parties of the conservative union: the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), as well as 720,000 to the alternative of extreme right for Germany (AFD). A million former voters of SPD changed to the left party and the new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) match. The choice was evidently a blood in many directions.

SPD: Isn’t it a workers’ party?

German voters clearly feel that their concerns about works and immigration are not being taken seriously. In an analysis carried out by the Infratest-Dimap opinion research institute, only 14% of Germans believe that the SPD can competently direct asylum and refugee policy, while 52% say they are neglecting the interests of workers.

The Infratest-Dimap survey shows that 55% of respondents say they feel that the SPD cares more about the unemployed than those who work hard and earn little money.

“We have given the impression that those who do not work, or only occasionally go to work, are more important to us than those who work. And that is fatal for a social democratic party,” said the president of SPD for a long time, Sigmar Gabriel, in the public television station in the public television station ARD After federal elections.

The election result may have been deeply shocking for the SPD, but there have been no resignation. The co -chair of the party, Lars Klingbeil, quickly extended his position in power, and now also directs the parliamentary group of the party in the Bundestag.

From the elections, the SPD mantra is to stay together in the next stage, which will probably see that it remains in the government as a junior partner of the conservative union (CDU/CSU).

However, many members of disappointed SPD question the value of a new coalition with conservatives. It would be the fourth government alliance of the SPD with the CDU/CSU since 2005, and the party has emerged weakened every time.

Renew and govern simultaneously

The co-leader of SPD, Klingbeil, promises to strengthen the identity of the party in the coming years as the “Popular Party of the Central Left”. He says there will be a “program renewal, organization and personnel.”

However, the emergence of the global policy of the extreme right and volatile means that the SPD does not have time to retire and regroup: “German politics has the task of strengthening Europe during this historical phase. And for that, a social democracy capable of action is needed,” Klingbeil said. “We must succeed, we must take responsibility for this country.”

The SPD has survived exhausting disputes between its left and conservative wings for decades. Many party leaders have fallen or renounced, exasperated. It has only been under the leadership of the co-lins Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil, and Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz, which the party has managed to close the ranks.

From the federal elections, the internal debates of the social democrats have intensified. The left wing warns against making too many concessions during coalition negotiations. Such warning must be taken seriously, after all, the same members of SPDs eventually vote on the coalition agreement.

What separates the CDU/CSU from the SPD?

There are key opinion differences between the CDU/CSU and the SPD. First, on how to find the billions of funds necessary for the German army and to renew the sick infrastructure. For the SPD, it is vital that these investments do not come at the expense of social spending.

The CDU/CSU will probably be under pressure. He needs the SPD to join a coalition government, since he has ruled out an alliance with the extreme right AFD.

This means that the SPD delegation can present proposals and increase the political price of a government coalition with the party. After all, if they cannot please the members of their party, who will finally vote on the coalition agreement, Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil will also be history.

This article was originally written in German.

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