There is a risk of a shift to the right in the European elections: The SPD led by Katarina Barley is therefore launching an attack at a party conference – and is holding the Union responsible.
Berlin – Together against the right: Despite domestic political differences, the SPD has launched a call for united action against right-wing extremist tendencies in the EU. The SPD's designated EU top candidate, Katarina Barley, appealed not to turn the 2024 European elections into a protest vote against the traffic light coalition in Germany. Despite all the dissatisfaction, it was “about something bigger,” she agreed IPPEN.MEDIA before an upcoming party conference and added: “European political ghost drivers are calling for Germany to leave the EU. It is therefore about nothing less than the future of Europe.” Her party colleagues also held Friedrich Merz’s CDU and Markus Söder’s CSU responsible in this regard.
Party conference for the European elections: SPD names Katarina Barley as top candidate – speech by Scholz
The SPD is preparing for the European elections on June 9th at a delegate conference in Berlin on Sunday (January 28th). The Vice President of the European Parliament, Katarina Barley, like five years ago, should be elected as the top candidate – and prevent a shift to the right in Europe. The approximately 150 delegates also want to vote on their election program entitled “Together for a strong Europe”. The main speeches will be given by Barley and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who will play a key role in the election campaign.
Barley justified the decision with the role that Scholz plays in Europe. “He is a strong European figure. And that, I hope, will help us,” she told the news outlet dpa. His role is very respected in Europe. “A lot depends on Germany. And a lot depends on the German Chancellor. And he brought a lot of positive impulses to the European Union during his time in government.”
“It's about something bigger”: Barley resists protest vote for traffic lights
However, Scholz and his traffic light government with the Greens and FDP in Berlin have been in a low mood for months. In polls for the federal election, the Social Democrats are currently at 13 to 16 percent. In the last European elections in 2019, the SPD achieved its worst result to date in a nationwide election with 15.8 percent. In view of budget cuts and internal disputes, the coalition parties are currently not scoring much and are consistently behind the CDU/CSU and the partly right-wing extremist AfD in terms of opinion trends. Although the right-wing populists, who are calling for Germany to leave the EU alliance in the European elections – the so-called Dexit – recently suffered a first dampener in mood after months of high polls after radical secret meetings became known, the traffic light partners were unable to benefit from this.
Nevertheless, Barley was combative. Despite the poor performance in the last election, the goal is to significantly improve this result, said Barley. But she didn't want to give a specific value. “The important thing is that we all put everything into this election and then achieve the best possible result. I don't believe in painting numbers on the wall at all.” She agreed that it was in the hands of the voters which political path the European Parliament took IPPEN.MEDIA. “The many demonstrators on the streets make me confident.”
Distancing required: SPD attacks Weber, Söder and Merz
SPD party vice-president Achim Post took responsibility for the fight against the right but also the CDU and CSU. Before the European Delegates Conference, he called on the Union to distance itself from right-wing extremist parties at the EU level – instead of repeatedly launching new attacks on the traffic lights. Both the chairman of the European People's Party (EPP) Manfred Weber, who is also deputy to party leader Markus Söder, and CDU leader Friedrich Merz must make it clear before the European elections that they are not ready to work with right-wing extremists, Post told the newspapers Funke Media Group. “The firewall must also be raised in Europe,” emphasized Post.
The European elections taking place in June could strengthen the extreme right in the European Parliament, Post warned. He is worried that EPP leader Weber is “very open” to alliances between sister parties of the Union and right-wing radicals. “That has to stop. “I also expect a crystal-clear commitment from Friedrich Merz,” emphasized Post. There should be no alliances with right-wing radicals in the municipalities, the state, the federal government or in Europe. (jkf/with material from dpa)
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