Stephan Weil quits withdrawal as Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister

Lower Saxony’s long -time Prime Minister Stephan Weil will be released in May. According to information from the German Press Agency, he also waives the re-election as SPD state chairman.

The SPD Lower Saxony announced a statement by Weil in the Kurt Schumacher House in Hanover.

The withdrawal of the 66-year-old is a turning point for the SPD in Lower Saxony: Weil has been SPD state chief since the beginning of 2012 and has been the prime minister since the beginning of 2013. Because it is the third-party head of government behind Reiner Haseloff (CDU/Saxony-Anhalt) and Winfried Kretschmann (Greens/Baden-Württemberg). Previously, from 2006 to 2013 he was mayor of the state capital of Hanover.

Speculations because the office as head of government could hand over prematurely to provide his successor to his successor before the next state election, there had been for years. Because the rumors showed back for a long time. If his health allow it, he wanted to remain in office by 2027, he said several times. The CDU therefore accused him of a word break a few days ago if he retreated.

Because either had to stand by his word and remain in office until 2027-“or you clear the way for new elections,” said Lower Saxony’s CDU parliamentary group leader Sebastian Lechner in the state parliament.

The change of management in Hanover for the Social Democrats falls into a time of upheaval after the historical defeat in the Bundestag election 2025. Party leader Lars Klingbeil had announced a generation change on the election evening. First example: The new Bundestag Vice President Josephine Ortleb, 38 years old.

Now there could also be a rejuvenation in Lower Saxony. According to North Rhine-Westphalia, the state association is traditionally one of the most powerful in the SPD and significantly shapes the direction of the party. With party leader Klingbeil, Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil, the popular Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius and Secretary General Matthias Miersch, four top social democrats grew up here.

Lower Saxony is also a bank for the SPD in elections: it regularly cuts better there than nationwide. In the 2022 state election, she drove more than 33 percent – values ​​that the SPD can only dream of in the federal government. Because it often acted as a bridge builder between state and federal politics, even if he has no leadership role in the Federal SPD.

The previous Economics Minister Olaf Lies is to be the successor.

The 57-year-old was already head of state of the SPD from 2010 to 2012 and even then had the goal of moving into the State Chancellery. Before the 2013 election, he had to give up in a membership decision about the SPD top candidate. For twelve years as a minister later, he is now to become head of government.

If the entire parliamentary term had remained over the head of government, he could have been able to cut the record of Ernst Albrecht (CDU) for the longest term of office of a prime minister in Lower Saxony. Albrecht-the father of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen-ruled the country from 1976 to 1990.

This article has been updated.