Government formation: Content before staff: SPD will present Minister next week

A week after the CDU and CSU, the SPD also wants to announce its seven ministers for the future federal government next Monday. This was announced by Secretary General Matthias Miersch in Berlin. Before that, however, the vote of the SPD membership decision is pending on the coalition agreement. An euphoria cannot be determined within the members, but Miersch is still optimistic.

By Tuesday at midnight, the approximately 358,000 SPD members can still vote on joining a government with the CDU and CSU. For the acceptance of the 144 -page coalition agreement entitled “Responsibility for Germany”, not only a majority of the votes are required, but also a participation of at least 20 percent of the members. This quorum has already been reached. However, this is “no reason to reject the next few hours if you have not yet coordinated,” said Miersch.

“No euphoria can be determined”

There is a great willingness to discuss in the SPD, the party deals intensively with the content of the coalition agreement. However, an euphoria cannot be determined and “at one point or another” “distrust of the future coalition partner is also expressed,” said Miersch.

The members see that the contract is not a SPD election program, but that it certainly bears an SPD manuscript. Therefore, he also assumes approval.

Personnel line -up with a lot of proportion

It is important to the Social Democrats that it was only about content and only then about the staff. Therefore, the personnel table will only be communicated on May 5th – a day before the planned appointment of CDU boss Friedrich Merz as Chancellor. “The decisions are only made when the members actually decided this party,” said Miersch.

He was certain that a “very strong team” will be presented “what consists of women and men who stand for the future and for the content of the party”. There are many points of view that would have to be taken into account, explained Miersch. Including, for example, the question of parity, the departments and professional suitability and the regionally good distribution of future ministers.

Will Klingbeil finance minister?

The SPD will run seven ministries in the new cabinet. The Ministry of Finance is likely to be the most powerful. It is expected that party leader Lars Klingbeil then becomes and becomes vice chancellor. However, his change to the cabinet is not yet quite sure. He could also remain parliamentary leader and position himself as an independent opponent of Merz.

It is certain that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius keeps his post. As the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, the former Bundag President Bärbel Bas granted good chances. The SPD also takes over the environmental/climate protection departments, building/living as well as justice/consumer protection.

The future role of Saskia Esken is violently controversial in the party. The much -criticized party leader could also switch to the cabinet – for example to the Ministry of Development. However, Esken even gets resistance from its own national association: it is not one of the four best SPD women, criticized the SPD general secretary from Baden-Württemberg, Sascha Binder.

SPD Presidium member Katja Pähle, on the other hand, defended Esken. You cannot give her sole responsibility for the clap in the Bundestag election. All strategic orientations would have hit Esken and Klingbeil in coordination with the executive Chancellor Olaf Scholz.