VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRL #1460/01 3211406
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171406Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5802

UNCLAS BERLIN 001460 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL AF GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY'S SOCIAL DEMOCRATS REJECT PARTY'S TOP-DOWN 
DECISIONMAKING; EMBRACE CORE VALUES AND NEW LEADERS 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Germany's struggling Social Democratic 
Party (SPD) voted in a new leadership and recommitted itself 
to serving as the country's center-left people's party at its 
November 13-15 party convention.  After having suffered its 
worst defeat at the polls since World War II, the newly 
elected leadership called for party renewal and a return to 
social justice values and promised to put more emphasis on 
ongoing internal debate.  While blame was not cast directly, 
many of the dozens of speakers accused the party leadership 
of losing touch with its base and with its core values.  The 
party's main rallying points were its resounding election of 
Sigmar Gabriel as party chair and in favor of a property tax. 
 The party stopped short of revisiting major welfare reforms 
and of setting a date by which German troops should exit 
Afghanistan.  End summary. 
 
Out With "Basta" Politics 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Former SPD chair Franz Muentefering and party 
secretary general Hubertus Heil November 13 were respectfully 
ushered out from leadership positions of a party at its 
deepest political ebb.  The party had held great hopes for 
Muentefering, the second party chair elected within one year, 
but neither he nor former SPD Chancellor candidate and 
current caucus chief Frank-Walter Steinmeier could prevent 
its downward spiral ending with the disastrous results at the 
September 27 polls.  In his farewell speech, Muentefering 
acknowledged the depth of the party's defeat but focused on 
criticizing the effects of capitalism and the Christian 
Democratic Union-Christian Social Union and Free Democratic 
Party coalition (CDU/CSU-FDP) rather than analyzing the 
party's mistakes. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The ensuing dozens of speakers, however, vented 
frustration with the party leadership for neglecting its base 
-- its so-called "basta" (dictatorial) politics -- and the 
party's departure from its core social justice values. 
Thuringia's SPD leader Christoph Matschie told Poloff at the 
convention that former SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has 
been most closely associated with "basta" politics, as had 
Muentefering.  Schroeder, he said, did not bring the party 
base along when developing the major welfare reforms called 
Agenda 2010.  Franciska Drohsel, chair of the SPD youth 
organization, delivered perhaps the most biting criticism, 
mentioning a loss of trust in the party and appealing for the 
SPD to again be the party of social justice.  Her group later 
successfully pushed through an amendment to the party program 
calling for a property or "wealth" tax.  Although a negative 
tone toward military engagement in Afghanistan was expressed 
during the convention, the delegates rejected an attempt to 
amend the platform to set a date for the withdrawal of the 
Bundeswehr, calling instead for the groundwork to be laid 
during this legislative period that would allow for the 
troops' withdrawal. 
 
An Impressive Sigmar Gabriel 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The convention's critical mood lifted when, after 
66 speakers, former SPD Environment Minister Gabriel took the 
stage and began his personal appeal for party renewal, unity 
and future action.  He quickly carried the crowd.  He called 
on the party to cease chasing after the elusive "center," but 
rather to focus on defining itself.  Rather than seeking to 
change the middle, Gabriel said, "we changed ourselves."  He 
also acknowledged that "we did things that part of the party 
found unacceptable."  He referred specifically to changing 
the retirement age to 67, which many of the previous speakers 
had criticized.  He said that the party should address its 
approach "from the bottom to the top" and at the latest 
within 12 months should present some answers.  To this end, 
he called for conferences with community representatives and 
meetings with all sectors of society.  He also called for 
yearly party conventions to debate and vote on issues. 
Gabriel received a six-minute standing ovation and was then 
voted in as Chairman with 94 percent of the some 500 
delegates. 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The delegates also voted in a new General 
Secretary, Andrea Nahles, who represents the SPD's left wing. 
 Nahles spoke directly after Gabriel, but could not match his 
appeal.  She was voted in with only 69 percent of the vote. 
Although talented and well-connected within the party, Nahles 
has been a controversial figure and has tended to polarize. 
Also, some in the left wing may have felt that she has moved 
too far to the center.  Elected as party vice chairs were 
Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit with 89.6 percent of the vote, 
SPD leader in North Rhine-Westphalia Hannelore Kraft with 
90.2 percent, former SPD Labor Minister Olaf Scholz with 85.7 
percent and SPD Health Minister in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 
 
Manuela Schwesig with 87.8 percent. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The SPD leadership prepared well for the 
convention, with the aim of preventing any major 
blood-letting.  Both Gabriel and Nahles traveled extensively 
before the convention and spoke with various regional party 
assemblies allowing dissatisfaction and criticism to be 
widely aired.   At the convention itself, more than a day was 
reserved for statements and intense discussion by the 
delegates about the state of the party.  In addition, several 
speakers at the convention, including Muentefering, pointed 
out that the party had gained some 5,000 new members since 
the elections.  While the party did not signal any major 
breaks with past SPD policy at the convention nor did Gabriel 
in his speech, it was clear that the SPD leadership will be 
seeking new ways to reconnect with its base and win back lost 
voters.  It will also develop positions that reflect more of 
its center-left tradition for its role as opposition leader. 
 
 
MURPHY