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It should all be so nice for the otherwise troubled Social Democrats in Berlin.
Party conference cheers.
Standing ovations.
A radiant new state chairwoman.
Franziska Giffey, carried to the top by the enthusiasm of the Berlin comrades, together with her Co Raed Saleh.
A beacon of hope on the way to the top candidacy for the office of Governing Mayor of Berlin.
A new departure, wind under the wings of the party, which was bobbing in the 16 percent poll.
That was how they imagined it at the beginning of the year.
Then came Corona and the decision of the Free University of Berlin to re-examine the candidate's doctoral thesis, which had already been reprimanded for several plagiarism.
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The coronation convention was postponed twice, now it could finally take place - digitally, without an audience or applause.
And without a doctorate, the incumbent Federal Minister of Family Affairs no longer wants to lead in the future, to protect her family and to avert damage to the party, as she announced in mid-November.
Despite the flaw, Giffey could count on broad approval, but 90 percent of the votes should be so as not to feed any doubts.
In the end there was 89.4 percent for Giffey, 68.7 percent for Raed Saleh.
The result shows which of the two is primus inter pares.
"Thank you very much for this tailwind, for this trust, your support and solidarity," said the new country manager with a beaming smile.
"And if you want it, I am ready to be your top candidate for the next year."
Even the Jusos keep their feet still
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So it went as hoped, the Berlin SPD didn't even have a plan B.
For this reason, too, there has been a kind of unspoken agreement in the party for weeks not to get involved in any debate about doctoral theses.
“Great respect for your decision.
We stand by your side in solidarity! “, The national association tweeted after Giffey's announcement that it would no longer hold the title.
And party vice Julian Zado immediately announced the end of the debate: “That's right.
And it is good that the dispute about Franziska Giffey's doctorate no longer distracts from the important issues in our city. ”In a kind of communicative breakwater, the topic is kept silent.
"The SPD Berlin is otherwise not exactly known for keeping behind the mountain with internal criticism", as the Lichtenberg city councilor Kevin Hönicke thinks.
Even the Jusos adhere to the non-aggression pact.
“She has our respect for her decision to no longer use her doctorate,” said Juso chairmen Peter Maaß and Sinem Taşan-Funke when asked by WELT AM SONNTAG.
Until the university has decided on the title, they will “hold back on a political assessment - also so as not to discredit this procedure”.
According to the latest planning, the result should be available by the end of February.
That would probably be soon enough not to directly overshadow the election campaign.
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This step was not easy for Giffey, as can be heard from the state executive.
“Tell me honestly if you have concerns,” she is reported to have said.
Of course, the citizens of Berlin will have to judge this in the coming year.
Opinions are divided here.
Giffey's critics accuse her of brushing aside her own mistakes and neglects all too sloppily.
The affair about her husband, who was dismissed from the civil service because of incorrectly calculated working hours and business trips, comes up again.
"A cheat family" read the comments in the letters to the editor.
Her fans, on the other hand, praise the gripping manner and the warmth of the designated top candidate.
Her new co-chairman enthuses: “When I am out and about in town with Franziska, you notice that there is a human relationship between her and the people on the street.” She does “politics with her mind, but also with her heart.”
Giffey herself only dealt very indirectly with her plagiarism affair in her party conference speech: “You can rely on me, no matter what happens, no matter what people say and mean.
I'm there."