SPD leadership crisis deepens as calls for Bas and Klingbeil's resignation grow

A rebellion brews inside Germany's SPD as election losses expose leadership flaws. Can Bas and Klingbeil survive the mounting pressure for change?

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2026 March 26 . 9:01 PM

1 min read

The image shows a poster for the Berliner Secession, featuring a woman in a green dress and a man... — The image shows a poster for the Berliner Secession, featuring a woman in a green dress and a man in a black suit. The poster has text written on it, likely describing the event.

SPD leadership crisis deepens as calls for Bas and Klingbeil's resignation grow

Orkan Özdemir, a Berlin SPD politician, has urged party co-leaders Bärbel Bas and Lars Klingbeil to step down. His call follows recent election losses in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, sparking wider debates within the party. Özdemir argues that holding both government roles and party leadership weakens the SPD's ability to reform itself. Özdemir, who serves in the Berlin House of Representatives and as deputy federal chair of the SPD's Migration and Diversity Working Group, claims Bas and Klingbeil cannot push for credible change while serving as federal ministers. His criticism aligns with growing dissatisfaction over the party's performance in state elections.

Philipp Türmer, federal chair of the Jusos, has also demanded a leadership reshuffle. He insists the SPD must focus more on tackling wealth inequality. Benedict Lang, chair of the Jusos in Bavaria, echoed this stance, stating that the dual roles of Bas and Klingbeil have failed and must end immediately.

Despite the pressure, Bas and Klingbeil have refused to resign. Instead, they have called for further reforms, including social policies and modernisation efforts. A meeting is scheduled for Friday, where federal, state, and local SPD politicians will discuss a joint strategy. However, no concrete reform projects have yet emerged from these internal debates. The SPD remains divided over its leadership structure and reform direction. Calls for change have intensified since the election defeats, but no formal decisions have been made. The upcoming strategy meeting will determine whether the party can resolve its internal conflicts and push forward with new policies.