Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently spoke to a few citizens in Lübeck about their concerns and needs.

Were people worried about the Ukraine war?

Yes and no.

They asked questions about the nursing shortage, the shortage of skilled workers and inflation.

It can be summed up like this: the citizens were concerned about social peace in Germany.

The Ukraine war has arrived in the private sphere.

It's no longer just about Kyiv, it's now also about Cologne-Porz.

People are concerned with whether there will be enough energy for everyone in winter - and how they should pay for it.

It is about social security and justice.

These are the issues that the SPD has been dealing with for decades.

So why is the chancellor party doing so badly, has slipped to third place behind the CDU/CSU and the Greens in polls?

Mützenich, a man from yesterday

Since the end of February, since Russia invaded Ukraine, the world, big and small, has been in a quick wash cycle with a spin cycle.

This involves very practical questions, such as energy supply.

But this war also hits some people to the core, it has destroyed their beliefs.

That's how it is for many in the SPD.

Up until shortly before the start of the war, one could often hear from top SPD figures how dangerous NATO's aggressive actions against Russia were.

And that there are always two sides.

Also by Rolf Mutzenich.

He is the leader of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag and therefore a powerful man.

In February 2021, he once again spoke out in favor of withdrawing the nuclear weapons stored in Germany and starting further steps towards disarmament.

"It is not our job to protect the United States militarily," he said.

In October, he accused outgoing Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer from the CDU of being no better than Russia “with its equally unfounded threats” that nuclear weapons could be used in a conflict with Russia.

It's easy to get upset about Mutzenich's earlier attitude.

Mützenich, a man from yesterday.

But that's not what it is all about here.

The SPD Left knows that his convictions have been destroyed.

And he is now the one who has to teach himself and the rest of the SPD that.

That's a great achievement.

In the "Vorwärts", the SPD newspaper for the members, he recently explained that the war was a "break in the history of our continent".

He destroyed the project of a cooperative European peace order.

So, is Mützenich really a man from yesterday?

At least the SPD can only gain something with him in the future, because he can credibly say to the old left: I wish it were different, but it just can't be done.

Klingbeil wants to be a designer

SPD leader Lars Klingbeil also wants to become such an explainer.

A few months ago he was still a friend of Putin's buddy Gerhard Schröder.

He recently gave a speech and countered the usual SPD socialization story of Nazi crimes, Brandt's peace policy and loyalty to Russia with his own story: the death of communism, the attacks of September 11, 2001, Russia's war of aggression.

"We have a huge design challenge ahead of us," he said.

Klingbeil wants to be the designer.

He wants to make Germany a leading power.

Will he and others in the SPD succeed?

Klingbeil also said something interesting: He wanted to follow President Joe Biden's approach and do a foreign policy for the middle class.

International conflicts carry explosive power for democracy and cohesion.

"Inside and outside grow together."

That is the crucial sentence that the SPD now has to redeem in order to get out of the valley of its poll numbers.

One word was very big on the SPD election posters: respect.

Scholz stood for a policy that cares and otherwise largely leaves the citizens alone.

He promised to create new security through change and ensure security in change.

This was condensed in Scholz's "Nope" when he was asked if he had any energy-saving tips for the public.

That sounds perfect.

Because then the citizens don't have to do anything.

In Scholz's world of respect, everyone can continue to live as before.

But it won't be that easy.

Without restrictions, Germany will not get through this multiple crisis.

Preserving and changing must be placed in a new relationship.

This applies to the SPD internally.

But also for their messages to the outside world.