(Adnkronos) – The Labor Minister of the Merz government, Baerbel Bas, has been chosen by the leaders of the German Social Democratic Party as the new candidate for the position of co-leader of the movement. Bas would thus take the place of Saskia Esken, who yesterday announced her intention not to run again for the leadership of the movement. In the elections of February 23, the SPD obtained one of the worst results in its history, with 16.4% of the votes.
Esken and co-leader Lars Klingbeil – now also finance minister and vice-chancellor – have also nominated Tim Kluessendorf as a candidate for the position of general secretary of the Party. If confirmed, he will succeed Matthias Miersch, chosen as SPD group leader. Bas and Kluessendorf are exponents of the left wing of the party. Klingbeil is expected to run again as a co-leadership candidate alongside Bas at the Congress scheduled for the end of June.
Bas, 57, has been an SPD deputy since 2009. During the last legislature she held the position of president of the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament. Speaking at the party headquarters in Berlin, Bas described taking on the role of co-leader as a historic task.
