SPD appoints Matthias Miersch as the new general secretary for the election campaign!

SPD appoints Matthias Miersch as the new general secretary for the election campaign!

The SPD has made a significant decision to give a fresh air to the announced Bundestag election campaign. Matthias Miersch, who is considered an experienced faction vice, will take on the role of the provisional general secretary after Kevin Kühnert has resigned for health reasons. The official announcement by the party leadership is imminent in the Willy-Brandt-Haus, where Miersch will probably be present personally.

Kühnert, who is only 35 years old, explained that he not only resigns for health reasons, but also plans to no longer run for the Bundestag. His withdrawal raises questions, especially at a time when the SPD has dropped to around 16 percent in surveys, which is considered worrying compared to the stronger Union.

The new general secretary as strategist

Matthias Miersch has an extensive experience that he has acquired since moving into the Bundestag in 2005. As a member of the parliamentary left within the SPD, he dealt intensively with topics such as environment, climate protection and consumer protection. It is generally recognized that it has a strong network within the party, which could help him strengthen the SPD in the upcoming campaign phase.

his area of ​​responsibility as general secretary does not only include the management of the party headquarters. He will also be responsible for planning and implementing the Bundestag election campaign. Lars Klingbeil, the current party leader, is already signaling his willingness to actively work during the election campaign. Klingbeil, as Secretary General himself, had a significant contribution to the SPD's election victory in 2021, and his interaction with Miersch will be decisive.

In the early days of his career, former general secretaries, such as Franz Müntefering and Olaf Scholz, played a critical role in the development of the SPD. This position was launched in 1999 and was the first step for many in the career ladder. So while the SPD looks back on a solid tradition, the challenges that Miersch and Klingbeil have to tackle is immense.

political support and recognition for Kühnert

miersch already receives the backing of different sides within his party. Dirk Wiese, another faction vice and a member of the more conservative Seeheimer Kreis, was positive about the decision and was confident that Miersch will successfully master the new challenges. FDP general secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai also expressed his respect and wished him a “good start” in the new office.

The political landscape not only reacts to Miersch, but also to the former general secretary Kühnert. Cross -party voices recognize his contribution and wish him quick recovery. CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann expressed that he met Kühnert as a "damn honest colleague". These appreciative words of political opponents are not a matter of course in times of internal and external party politics and reflect on respectful interaction.

Developments within the SPD and the change at the top of the General Secretariat could be crucial for how the party asserts itself on the political parquet next year. The coming months will show whether Miersch and his team can bring the necessary stability to regain the trust of voters and to prepare accordingly for the challenges of the Bundestag election.