German Social Democrats choosing new co-leader after poll drubbing
German Labour Minister Bärbel Bas has been nominated to become co-leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), dpa learnt on Monday, as the party reels from one of the worst election results in its history.
The SPD, traditionally one of Germany's two mainstream political forces, was relegated to third place in February's general election behind the conservatives and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Following more than three years at the helm of a squabbling, deeply unpopular centre-left alliance, the SPD agreed to enter a coalition government led by the conservatives which took office last week.
But the damning result of 16.4% has left the party scrambling to reorganize its leadership, with co-leader Saskia Esken on Sunday announcing she would not run again after many within the party appeared to scapegoat her over the SPD's poor showing.
Esken and fellow co-leader Lars Klingbeil, who has ascended the ranks to become finance minister and vice chancellor to conservative Friedrich Merz in the new Cabinet, have nominated Bäs to succeed Esken at a committee meeting, party sources told dpa.
They also suggested Tim Klüssendorf, 33, for the post of party secretary general. If confirmed, he is set to succeed Matthias Miersch, who was elected SPD parliamentary group leader last week.
Both Bas and Klüssendorf are part of the left party wing of the SPD, the Parliamentary Left.
Klingbeil is expected to run again for the post of co-leader at a party conference at the end of June.
A trained welder, Bas, 57, has been serving as a lawmaker for the SPD since 2009. She became better known during the last legislature when she served as president of the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, the second highest office behind the president.
Speaking at party headquarters in Berlin, Bas described assuming the post of co-leader as a historic task, saying she would place social security, educational equality and a modern, diverse society at the centre of her work.
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