Politics · Germany · 5 hrs ago
Klingbeil leaves open whether he will seek another term as SPD leader
Bärbel Bas has resigned as co-leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party, or SPD, and as federal labor minister.
She cited a death in her family and attacks from members of the coalition partner, the CDU and CSU alliance.
Co-leader Lars Klingbeil has not said whether he will seek another term at the party’s helm.
He said the focus should be on choosing the strongest leadership team, not on whether he personally keeps his post.
The SPD plans a party conference around the turn of the year, when its full leadership is due to face a vote.
Klingbeil said he wants to keep the party’s two-person leadership structure and said it also needs to settle questions about its political program.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who has been mentioned as a possible leader, denied having ambitions for the role.
SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil has not said whether he will seek another term at the party’s helm.
He said the party’s leadership would decide together whom to put forward for senior posts.
Klingbeil said he was not clinging to his position and that the party needed the best possible leadership team.
He said an SPD party conference around the turn of the year would elect the entire party leadership.
Co-leader Bärbel Bas announced her withdrawal, citing a death in her family and attacks from coalition partners.
- Who
- Lars Klingbeil, co-leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD).
- What
- He left open whether he would seek another term as party leader.
- When
- Monday, 12 October 2026.
- Where
- In interviews on ZDF’s heute journal and ARD’s Brennpunkt.
- Why
- Klingbeil said the party needed to decide on the best possible leadership team. He said the leadership would make that decision together.
Bärbel Bas and SPD
Union politicians
Reform delays
Bärbel Bas and SPD
Bas said several laws had been sent for early coordination despite her family bereavement; Klingbeil said the agreed timetable for pension reform had been met.
Union politicians
Union politicians accused Bas of delaying agreed reforms.
Public attacks
Bärbel Bas and SPD
Klingbeil said political attacks should be scaled back after a death in Bas’s family and said limits had been crossed.
Union politicians
Bas cited attacks from coalition partners as a reason for her withdrawal; Union politicians’ position on the criticism is not stated.
Bärbel Bas announced her withdrawal as SPD co-leader and federal labour minister.
Klingbeil said he was leaving open whether he would seek another term as SPD leader.
Klingbeil said an SPD party conference was planned, with the entire party leadership to face election.
- SPD co-leaders
- Lars Klingbeil and Bärbel Bas
- Bas’s stated reasons for withdrawal
- A death in her family and attacks from coalition partners
- Planned party conference
- Around the turn of the year
- Leadership election
- The entire SPD leadership is to face election at the conference
- Leadership structure
- Klingbeil said he wanted to retain the party’s joint leadership arrangement
What people are saying
It is not about me, and it is not about me clinging to office, but about the best possible setup.
There are limits that have been crossed.
I believe there can be no two opinions about that.
Sources
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