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Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - The outgoing chairman of the North Rhine-Westphalian SPD, Sebastian Hartmann, has called on the party to show solidarity and unity.
"Trust does not develop overnight," said Hartmann on Saturday at the digital state party conference of the NRW-SPD.
Hartmann referred to the losses of the NRW-SPD in the European elections and the local elections in 2020. "In this phase no one can be a miracle healer."
The NRW-SPD did not always speak with one voice and had "miserably long Groko discussions".
"The very last thing we need is a divided party," said the member of the Bundestag, also with a view to the power struggle for the leadership of the state association with the largest number of members.
There were "sometimes dark moments" and "staff quarrels".
The repositioning of the NRW-SPD after its election defeat in the state in 2017 was successful, said Hartmann.
"We have set the tone and ideas in North Rhine-Westphalia."
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Hartmann, who has been in office since 2018, had renounced the candidacy after a long power struggle.
At the party congress, parliamentary group leader Thomas Kutschaty is to be elected as the new state party leader.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210306-99-712808 / 2
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