SPD in the turmoil: Roth calls Mützenich's manifesto dangerous history cleavage!

SPD in the turmoil: Roth calls Mützenich's manifesto dangerous history cleavage!

Roth, Deutschland - On June 11, 2025, the SPD is again the focus of the political debate. The reason for this is a controversial manifesto of ex-parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich, which calls for a turnaround in upgrade policy and a diplomatic approach to Russia. Many SPD members, including Michael Roth, are critical of this advance. Roth describes the manifesto as "history cleaven" and questions the attitude of the SPD leadership, which has not sufficiently responded to the discrepancy between the party executive and the mood in the base. In an interview with NTV.de, Roth explains that there have been numerous attempts to negotiate and criticize the manifest's ignorance of these diplomatic efforts. n-tv.de reports that ...

The reactions to the manifesto are different. Matthias Miersch, the current parliamentary group leader of the SPD, clearly distances himself from the claims in the letter. He describes it as a contribution to the debate and emphasizes that a clear political attitude is necessary, combined with massive investments in Germany's defense ability. While five out of 120 SPD parliamentary group members support the manifesto, Miersch sees no dumping within the party. He emphasizes that Germany has to support the Ukraine "with everything possible". Time reports that ...

a foundation in security policy

In the context of the current political situation in Germany, security and defense policy is increasingly being discussed. In the coalition agreement between the Union and the SPD, a clear commitment to increased defense ability in Germany is made. Among other things, the introduction of a national security council and relevant improvements in armor procurement are planned. The aim is to strengthen the Bundeswehr and at the same time to focus on the defense expenditure based on the NATO goals without orienting yourself to the budget discipline. …

The SPD voted for a constitutional change to enable higher defense spending. The need to take the state and alliance defense seriously. Miersch and other leading SPD members are surprised by the manifest's demands, which, among other things, questions the stationing of US medium-sized routes in Germany. Sebastian Fiedler, domestic spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, is irritated by the content of the manifesto and reminds that the SPD members have approved the coalition agreement.

Polarity within the party illustrates how different opinions on German foreign policy are in times of the Ukraine war. While some members are calling for a change of course, others emphasize the importance of military strength to ensure the security of Germany and Europe. This debate could decisively shape the future orientation of the SPD in the coming months.