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Klüßendorf: The SPD's new hope is about to be put to the test!
Tim Klüssendorf from Lübeck was elected general secretary of the SPD. He faces challenges in the party conference and wants to reform the SPD.
Klüßendorf: The SPD's new hope is about to be put to the test!
In a turbulent time for the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), there are fresh faces and new impulses. Tim Klüssendorf, a 33-year-old member of the Bundestag from Lübeck, was nominated by the SPD executive committee for the post of general secretary and won the party's trust with over 90% of the delegate votes at the recently held federal party conference in Berlin. [ZDF] reports that this is his first test, especially after the last sobering federal election.
Klüssendorf, who is considered a party leftist, not only represents a new generation, but is also determined to make the SPD the “party of work” again. “We have to show the ability of social democracy to get back up after defeat,” he called to the delegates and emphasized the need for the party to appear united. Co-chairwoman Anke Rehlinger supports this view and made it clear that the SPD must appear as a strong unit if it wants to survive in the coming election campaigns.
Klüssendorf's career and commitment
The Lübeck native joined the SPD in 2007 and quickly gained experience in the youth organization, where he served as chairman of the Jusos Lübeck from 2010 to 2012. His political career led him to the Lübeck citizenship in 2013, where he was youth policy spokesman. Thanks to his performance, Klüssendorf won the direct mandate in the Lübeck constituency in 2021, where he prevailed against CDU politician Claudia Schmidtke and was most recently able to win the trust of voters again as the top candidate in Schleswig-Holstein in the federal election in February 2025. [Tagesspiegel] emphasizes that he has drawn up a strategy paper on the wealth levy and is also taking a critical look at savings in the federal budget.
His experiences in the German Bundestag and his membership in the Finance Committee have prepared him well for his new role as Secretary General. With a clear goal in mind - the resurgence of the SPD - Klüssendorf could become a decisive factor in the current crisis, which political scientist Albrecht von Lucke describes as the deepest crisis of social democracy. Klüssendorf himself expresses great respect for the task, but at the same time is highly motivated to get the SPD on track.
A look into the future
A particular challenge will be to steer the discussions around a foreign policy “manifesto” from the party left that aims for a fundamental reversal in foreign and security policy. These political issues will certainly be the focus at the next party conference and could provide lively debates.
It remains to be seen where the SPD will go from now on, but Klüssendorf is bringing movement to the venerable party. It remains to be hoped that he can turn what is recognized as a crisis into a strong upswing - an upswing that the SPD urgently needs in order to remain a permanent fixture in German politics.
The SPD has a long history that goes back to the post-war period, where social democratic women like Elisabeth Selbert and her colleagues made a significant contribution to equality between men and women in Germany. These achievements, supported by consistent political commitment, are still part of the identity of the party today, which continues to fight for social justice and equal opportunities. [SPD]