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Nice thing, this idea of a basic pension for low-income earners, for which the Minister of Social Affairs Hubertus Heil is just celebrated by his party. Finally again "SPD pure" cheers the vice faction boss Katja Mast, and is true: The Social Democrats still seem to remember the so-called little people. I find it good. But will not bring them anything.
No, unfortunately, the SPD will continue to stew in the deepest poll hell with this fundamental social idea. And not because she has neglected to call her suggestion not just a "respect pension", but, in order for everyone to recognize their benefits, a "good respect pension". So today it is actually a duty in social democratic initiatives. No, the SPD stays down because it did not understand it: The decline of social democracy is not alone with social policy.
That does not say any one, says Gerhard Schröder - the last (and possibly in many respects: very last) Social Democratic Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany in an interview with SPIEGEL. He ought to know, because with his very special social policy he initiated the decline of social democracy in the first place.
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But how should it go back up or forward with the SPD? At any rate, Schröder knows who is wrong: Andrea Nahles. No economic competence, can not express properly, commits amateur error. He does not have to say anything more, the woman is done. Which also does not work: "sloppiness in the clothing style". People just do not like it when someone in a hoody goes to the SPD party convention. That's what Schröder might call Kevin Kühnert. On most congressional photos, the shirt is indeed found with a proper shirt, but a Brioni suit does not carry the guy anyway.
No, someone else has to come here to save the SPD. Olaf Scholz? Yes, maybe, yawn. But actually: Sigmar Gabriel, perhaps the "most gifted politician we have in the SPD". That's a great idea! The man from Goslar can undoubtedly be polished. He is undisputedly a professional. And always well dressed. Maybe he even has economic competence, after all, he was already Minister of Economic Affairs.
Yes, that would be something: Sigmar Gabriel is SPD chairman, the party's abruptly again dazzling, and in the next election, Gabriel will then compete as a chancellor candidate and win. But now stupid asked: Gabriel was already SPD chairman, even quite a long time? And could have already competed and won twice? Why did not he do that? Did not he want to? Well, the next Schroder-Truth takes it: "Whoever fights for the highest government office must necessarily want it."
So no Gabriel, too bad. But when I think about it: Easy-going formulations, the greatest understanding of the economy, just no social benefits, but unconditional will to power and always perfectly dressed ... there was a ...
In the column Agitation and Propaganda Stefan Kuzmany writes about the current developments in politics and society.
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When the creepy Merz ghost haunted federal politics last autumn, a strange longing seized me for a moment. We were at the federal press, everyone talked about the possible comeback of the dashing stock seller from Brilon and how he could possibly take over in a coup d'etat the CDU and soon after the Chancellery. For a change we went dancing a bit. Suddenly crowding, there was a peculiar tension in the air, I turned around: Not two meters away, a surprisingly fit mid-seventies whirled with his wife over the parquet, admired and swarmed around.
And I admit, it may also have been due to white wine, but briefly I thought to myself: If someone has to come back, then please Gerhard Schröder. Man, these were times! In 1998 we were young, not disappointed by the SPD and not yet by the Greens. The world was not okay at the time, but it was more than it was today. And she was open to us. The thought vanished quickly.
Because even if only Schröder can explain logically, why a speed limit would be wrong - because our cars are built for high speeds -, his return is excluded. Because first, meanwhile, earns so well with his Russian business that he could no longer afford the chancellorship. And secondly, not only did his time as an active politician run out, but so did the time when mugs could announce a good cigar, what a woman can not do, how to deal with poor people, and how to attract young people.
If you ask me, the SPD should not be too worried about personnel issues anyway. Anyway, with whom at the top: as long as she stays only in the Grand Coalition, she's on the safe side.