Heil's candidacy for SPD chairmanship activates Klingbeil's advocates

SPD chairman Heil's candidacy activates Klingbeil's advocate as of: November 15, 2026 • 10:09 a.m

The first ventures out of cover: Former Labor Minister Heil wants to lead the SPD. What is party leader Klingbeil doing? Will he run for the presidency again at the party conference in January? Now other well-known SPD politicians spoke out in favor of him.

Will there be a candidacy for party leadership at the SPD party conference in January? Former Labor Minister Hubertus Heil has now officially submitted his application for the top job - and is thus challenging the previous chairman Lars Klingbeil.

However, it remains to be seen whether the Vice Chancellor will appear again at the party conference in Bremen. Klingbeil has so far kept a low profile. But he has well-known advocates - and more have now spoken out after his candidacy for salvation. “Lars Klingbeil is doing it very well,” said Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider to the Funke media. "I trust him and would like him to continue." But he didn't want to "push anyone," Schneider added.

SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch also spoke out in favor of Klingbeil remaining party leader. “I still think Lars Klingbeil is a good party leader,” he said, warning his party against a “longing for one person to get to the top and then do everything differently.” Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig and Federal Construction Minister Verena Hubertz had previously spoken out in favor of their party colleague Klingbeil's candidacy.

Former Labor Minister Heil was the first to officially announce his candidacy for the SPD chairmanship. more

The party executive wants to present its personnel proposal by December 16th at the latest. This should be “broadly supported within the party,” emphasized Secretary General Tim Klüssendorf.

Klingbeil has been in the dual leadership of the SPD since the end of 2021, most recently together with Bärbel Bas, who resigned from all party and government positions in mid-October. Now the entire party leadership is to be re-elected in January. Klingbeil is not without controversy in the party; at the last party conference in 2025 he was only re-elected with a disappointing result of 64.9 percent.

From his point of view, everything speaks for a change. Bremen's mayor Bovenschulte, on the other hand, is sticking with Klingbeil. more

Resistance is now also forming against Klingbeil's renewed candidacy. The Jusos spoke out against it and several SPD working groups apparently want to prevent him from running again. This emerges from two proposals for the SPD party conference in January, which Spiegel reports on.

The critics are also concerned with a separation of party and government office. Klingbeil and Bas also held government positions in addition to the SPD chairmanship. SPD presidential candidate Heil clearly advocates for a separation in his application letter. Being at the head of a people's party in these times requires a lot of commitment and full attention. “That’s why I want to devote all my energy to becoming a party chairman,” emphasizes the 54-year-old.

So far only names are circulating; no solid applications for the SPD leadership position have yet been received. more

Heil leaves it open as to which woman he would like to share the chair with. The statutes also allow a man to lead the SPD alone - or a woman. The Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, is considered a key figure. So far, however, she has also kept a low profile about her ambitions in the party. It is quite possible that there will be more clarity after the extended executive board meeting on November 19th, at which Schwesig is also expected.

Meanwhile, Heil is now recruiting supporters. So far he has no known advocates. Heil from Lower Saxony is considered a kind of permanent rival to Klingbeil from Lower Saxony, at least since he was not given a position in the SPD part of the cabinet in 2025 and is now a simple member of parliament. Previously, Heil was Minister of Labor and Social Affairs for seven years. Under him, social benefits were significantly expanded and the Hartz IV system was converted into citizens' money. The reform has now changed black and red again and introduced basic security.

Heil's opponents argue that he has had many opportunities to shape the path of the SPD in recent years - and is not in favor of a change of course.

This topic in the program: The First | daily topics | 11/14/2026 | 10:15 p.m.NDRInfo | News | 11/15/2026 | 8:20 a.m