Klingbeil at Ruhr-SPD: Question about the SPD chairmanship - Klingbeil: Don't stick to the chair

Bochum. The SPD federal chairman and finance minister Lars Klingbeil has left it open whether he will run again as party leader in January, but in his own words he is not sticking to his chair. At a members' convention of the Ruhr SPD in Bochum, he appealed that no matter who was elected to the top, he needed "the solidarity of the entire party." Later, after the end of the event, he added to media representatives that he was very happy to be party leader, but that he was aware of criticism of him.

After Bärbel Bas resigned as Federal Labor Minister and co-chair in mid-October, the party leadership is to be re-elected in January. "We are now in a very special situation. I also know that there is criticism, I also invite this criticism because my goal is for the SPD to position itself in the best possible way at the party conference in mid-January."

Vice Chancellor Klingbeil emphasized: "We are in very difficult times. We are in a situation that is incredibly difficult economically, in terms of the budget, economically and also in terms of foreign policy and the SPD needs the best positioning." He doesn't make the decision alone. This is currently being discussed internally. He couldn't yet say when pre-sleep would come.

“But for me the important thing is that it is the best possible lineup for the SPD and I’m not sticking to my seat, but rather saying: I will do my part to ensure that this best possible lineup is achieved in the end.”