Klingbeil shaves Esken: The dramatic nature of the decision

BERLIN LIVE Klingbeil shaves Esken: The dramatic nature of the decision Henrik Jonathan Zinn • 54 minutes • 2 minutes read On Monday (May 5), the SPD announced the ministers for the future government. One name is missing: Saskia Esken. The co-leader had hoped until the very end for a government position in Lars Klingbeil's team, but the persistent criticism of the past few weeks proved her undoing. A steep fall within just a few months. The final milestone has been reached! On Monday, the SPD announced its nominees for the ministries in the Merz government. Among them are many new names and few familiar faces. Lars Klingbeil had already announced his intention to initiate a "generational change in the SPD" – this is apparently only working at Saskia Esken's expense. The Esken Case: A Deep Fall in Just a Few Months The co-chair of the Social Democrats is completely out of office. This is the second blow in a short period of time, after her state association, the Baden-Württemberg SPD, withdrew her nomination for the federal executive board. In December 2023, Esken was elected party leader at a national party conference with 82.6 percent of the vote. The short period of time in which the tide turned against Esken is hard to beat. Immediately after the federal election, she was labeled as "the worst party in the world." Many had hoped for personnel consequences after the botched election (16.4 percent), but the 63-year-old did not resign. On the contrary: She appeared combative and wanted to turn the SPD around from her position. A fact that did not calm tempers – even internally. Esken was accused of clinging to her chair like "Pattex." Klingbeil, on the other hand, who as SPD leader was equally responsible for the election result, secured the decisive tactical advantage by becoming parliamentary group leader. Although the SPD women's party had clearly positioned itself behind her in February, Esken's growing internal unpopularity nevertheless turned her into a lone fighter. Until the very end, she had insisted on a ministerial post. She had her eye on the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, which Reem Alabali-Radovan will now assume. Especially bitter: Politico reports that Esken also had opportunities to serve as Vice President of the Bundestag. She missed this opportunity in February, and Josephine Ortleb became its successor. Since Esken will lose her position as co-party leader, she will sit in the Bundestag as a "regular" member of parliament. The next bitter aftertaste: She had resoundingly lost her own constituency in the federal election.