Kevin Kühnert, the General Secretary of Germany’s governing Social Democratic Party (SPD), announced his resignation on October 6, ahead of 2025 Germany’s federal elections.
The 35-year-old politician cited health issues as the reason for this decision in a written press statement but did not disclose the exact nature of the illness.
With Germany’s upcoming election, Kevin Kühnert feared he would not be the best choice to lead the SPD.
“For an electoral victory, the full commitment of the entire SPD and its more than 350,000 outstanding members is required. At the moment, I cannot rise above myself because, unfortunately, I am not well. The energy required for my role and a campaign is something I need for the foreseeable future to regain my health,” he said.
He will also not be standing again as a member of parliament in the Bundestag elections, thus meaning withdrawing from politics altogether for the Berliner.
“I have also informed the leaders of the SPD Tempelhof-Schöneberg that I will not be available for re-election in the upcoming federal elections.”
Kühnert has served as General Secretary of the Social Democrats since 2021, and his departure could influence the party’s strategy leading up to the elections.
If recent state elections are any indication, the SPD faces a challenging road ahead, with pressure from both the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and hard-left with Sahra Wagenknecht’s newly formed party (BSW).
In the Brandenburg state elections in September, the SPD narrowly defeated the AfD by just one point following consistent trailing in the polls.
When asked about the SPD’s chances in next year’s federal elections, Kühnert remarked, “Everyone must step up, including the Chancellor.”
In the summer, it was revealed that German Chancellor Scholz does not have widespread support among the party.
The survey published on July 22 was conducted among 1,001 party members. Just 33 per cent said they would support Scholz again as chancellor in the upcoming German general elections in 2025.https://t.co/uKeBI88Jxv
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) July 22, 2024
