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BERLÍN Hubertus Heil leaves open a bid for the SPD leadership
Germany’s former labor minister said he has received encouragement from within the party, but stressed that the decision will depend on the political course and the team around it. He also voiced doubts about a possible red-green-red coalition in Berlin.
Hubertus Heil, Germany’s former labor minister, said he is not ruling out a run for the SPD leadership ahead of the party’s winter vote. Der Spiegel reported that Heil told public broadcaster ARD he has received strong encouragement from within the party to enter the race.
He made clear, however, that backing alone will not determine his decision. In his view, the key questions are the direction the SPD will take and the team that would be built around that project, since he argued that no single person can handle the scale of the tasks ahead alone.
The race for the party leadership opened up after co-chair Bärbel Bas unexpectedly announced her resignation earlier this week. The SPD’s current other leader, Lars Klingbeil, who also serves as federal finance minister and vice chancellor, has not said whether he will seek another term, according to Der Spiegel.
Heil also argued that the discussion should not be about individuals or moving posts around, but about a broader mission. He said the SPD must take responsibility for social cohesion and for a strong democracy, while also being ready to compromise and to explain clearly what its long-term goals are.
In the same appearance, he addressed talks over a possible coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and the Left in Berlin. According to Der Spiegel, Heil said he has serious doubts about whether Berlin’s Left Party is willing and able to govern. He added that several issues would need to be clarified before taking on governing responsibility in the capital, including drawing a clear line against antisemitism from both the right and the left, as well as a firm commitment to internal security in Berlin and what he described as a sensible policy course.
The German outlet noted that in the September 20 election for the Berlin House of Representatives, the Left won 25.7% of the vote and finished well ahead of the other parties. Coalition talks are now focused on the possibility of forming a red-green-red government in the capital.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
