SPD result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Just missing is also over

When the forecasts ran across the screens at the SPD election party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after the first polling stations had closed, there was silence. Then there is a lot of brave, rhythmic clapping for minutes – even for the camera teams jockeying for the best seats.

A few days ago, the Social Democrats and the incumbent Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig were hoping to “bring the thing home”. However, the race was won by the right-wing extremist AfD – as of the time of going to press. He was betting on victory, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Environment Minister Till Backhaus told the taz. Nevertheless: Schwesig “delivered”.

Shortly afterwards, in the completely overcrowded orangery of Schwerin Castle, Schwesig was welcomed by her followers like a savior with loud cries of “Manu, Manu”. Schwesig shouts: “What an evening!” And: "We believed from the beginning that it was possible to counter the AfD. We achieved that."

The more than 35 percent for the SPD was “a strong signal from the voters,” said Schwesig. In fact, with Schwesig, the Social Democrats have achieved what only the most indestructible optimists thought possible a few months ago.

Schwesig also reminds us that exactly a year ago her party was polling at 19 percent. Her conclusion from the race to catch up, second place or not: “I know that a majority wants me to continue my work as Prime Minister and that we have received a lot of trust today.”

One thing is clear: the SPD has Schwesig to thank for the result – and her highly professional campaign management. Because the corresponding campaign, tailored entirely to the Prime Minister, was also ignited at the end. After the Saxony-Anhalt election, the “woman for MV” became “the woman against blue”: Schwesig, the savior from conditions like those in Magdeburg. Concern about the extreme right obviously gave it enormous popularity.

Schwesig had already started the fight with considerable popularity ratings and then continued to increase. As the poll numbers rose, Schwesig also changed her argument. While she had initially emphasized that it was not important who ended up in first place in the election, what was important was a stable democratic majority, she now declared just as firmly: “Now the election is about who will be the strongest force.” So that the SPD becomes the strongest force. It didn't work.

“I like to fight,” Schwesig recently told the taz. At the end of the SPD election campaign on Friday at the foot of the Rostock-Warnemünde lighthouse, the audience was greeted with the 80s classic “The Eye of the Tiger”, the title song of the boxing film “Rocky III”. The older ones remember: Sylvester Stallone, initially demoralized and abandoned by his boxing fighting spirit, ends up knocking out his opponent. O.

During the election campaign, she left no appearance to chance. The local newspapers were always there. Here the opening of a new school campus, there there was a training center to be inaugurated, plus groundbreakings all over the country, anniversary speeches and tons of funding notifications: Schwesig recently showed everyone who the country's mother in the house is in ever-increasing succession.

The opposition complained that the State Chancellery had ordered entire truckloads of red ribbons before the election campaign began. We were talking about “Manu Scissorhands”. The Prime Minister always presented it like this: Thanks to her, things are already going well in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and thanks to her things will go even better in the future.

At least useful for her overall performance: Hardly any other leading SPD politician opposed the unpopular reforms and decisions of the federal government and thus also against her own comrades in Berlin with such vehemence.

Schwesig not only denounced the planned end to the pension without deductions after 45 years of contributions. She also criticized the expiry of the fuel discount without replacement on July 1st from day one.

SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf also saw Schwesig's performance as a message for federal politics. “I think that the government as a whole needs to question itself,” he said in Berlin. The current reform discussion should not only be about cuts, but also about “structural changes”.

Meanwhile, Schwesig had already expressed satisfaction with the new edition of the fuel discount. “Relief” must come quickly, she said. Because: “The high fuel prices are a massive burden for citizens and the economy.” Above all, they are one of the biggest causes of excitement in the large, low-wage state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. And Schwesig has a flair for excitement. At least that is confirmed by the election results.