BERLIN. The vast majority of SPD members have spoken out against Olaf Scholz (SPD) who wants to run for chancellor again. According to a survey by the opinion research institute Forsa, only one in three Social Democrats is speaking out on behalf of the RND for a Scholz is once again the top candidate. Just as many would like Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to be the SPD candidate for chancellor. Eight percent of SPD members voted for party leader Lars Klingbeil.
In short, 55 percent of Social Democrats were satisfied with Scholz’s work. Party leader Klingbeil and SPD Secretary General Kevin Kühnert achieved an approval rating of 79 and 65 percent respectively. The majority of SPD members are dissatisfied with second party leader Saskia Esken (satisfied: 44 percent / dissatisfied: 54 percent).
The majority sees the SPD in an existential crisis
Given the poor performance in the EU elections, in which the SPD received 13.9 percent of the vote, 51 percent of SPD members see this as a sign that the party is in an existential crisis. 46 percent believe in only a temporary phase of weakness.
The SPD members identify the reasons for the poor result as general dissatisfaction with the federal government (34 percent), the lack of awareness of the performance of the SPD and the government (23 percent) and the weak leadership of Scholz (19 percent). Other important reasons for the SPD’s failure are the disagreements within the traffic light coalition (14 percent), the bad mood among voters (eleven percent) and the shift to the right in society (eight percent).
SPD members hardly believe in Scholz’s result anymore
The SPD members also look forward to the upcoming federal elections without much optimism. Two-thirds of the comrades surveyed do not believe that the SPD can become the strongest power again. About half of the respondents expect a national result of 15 to 19 percent in 2025. 37 percent trust the party 20 to 25 percent. About one tenth SPD member believes in a result of over 25 percent.
In the last federal election, the SPD was in first place with 25.7 percent, ahead of the Union with 24.2 percent. Demoscopes currently rate the SPD at 14 to 15 percent. The Union comes in at 30 to 32 percent. The AfD is in second place with 16 to 19 percent. The Greens can hope for eleven to thirteen percent. The Sahra Wagenknecht alliance is at seven to nine percent and the FDP five to six percent. The Left Party would have no chance of returning to the Bundestag with around three percent. (ho)