SPD may opt for co-chairmanship model
After receiving a major defeat in the European elections, the German social democrats are discussing choosing the co-chair model for better governance.
After the defeat at the European elections, Social Democratic Party (SPD) chair Andrea Nahles resigned.
The SPD got only 15.8 per cent of the vote, ending the third party after the Greens. It is not clear yet who will be the new party secretary, after possible candidates Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, Malu Dreyer, Manuela Schwesig and Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, who are temporarily leading the party, announced they would not run.
Speaking to Deutschlanfunk, Secretary-General Lars Klingbeil hinted at the possibility of opting for a co-chair model to attempt and overcome the current crisis within the party.
Malu Dreyer, a member of the party's interim presidency, noted that different groups within the SPD were fighting among each other. Dreyer said the situation of the party was "not good at all".
Kevin Kühnert, leader of the SPD's youth organization JUSOS, also called for an end to verbal attacks within the party, warning that this has already caused serious damage.
