Berlin SPD leaders resign: What does that mean for Berlin?

Berlin SPD leaders resign: What does that mean for Berlin?

The Berlin SPD is in a deep crisis. Today the two chairmen, Nicola Böcker-Giannini and Martin Hikel, surprisingly announced their resignation at the end of the month. This happened during a press conference scheduled to take place on Monday at 2:00 p.m., where they also want to talk about the coming challenges for the party. Her resignation comes just ten months before the important election for the Berlin House of Representatives in September 2026 and highlights the difficulties the party is currently facing. Nordkurier reports that the two had to draw the consequences due to a lack of support in the party. The SPD currently governs Berlin as the junior partner of the CDU.

Reactions to her resignation have been mixed. While the two party leaders have decided to hand over responsibility, Steffen Krach, who is currently regional president in Hanover, is proposed as the new party leader. Krach is seen as a beacon of hope for the Berlin SPD and is expected to be elected at a party conference in March, which was originally scheduled to decide on the election program. Spiegel emphasizes that the nominations of Hikel and Böcker-Giannini came from internal sources conflicts and weak support in their respective districts.

The reasons for the resignation

A key reason for the two's resignations is increasing frustration with the "blockades" that are hindering the implementation of reforms in the party. Böcker-Giannini did not receive a place on the list for the 2026 election at an election meeting in her Reinickendorf district association, while Hikel, the district mayor of Neukölln, only received 68.5 percent support for his nomination. Although he planned not to run again, he was known for his actions against criminal clans in Neukölln. According to current surveys, the SPD is at 13 to 16 percent and is therefore lagging behind the CDU, the Left, the Greens and even the AfD. Image warns of possible punishments for pragmatists within the party.

The internal unrest in the SPD is not just a Berlin phenomenon. Party leader and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is under a lot of pressure, especially because of his lack of flexibility towards the left wing of the party. From Schleswig-Holstein to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to Saxony-Anhalt, survey results show a worrying trend that calls into question the SPD's future in federal politics.

A look into the future

With the resignation of Böcker-Giannini and Hikel, the SPD is facing a groundbreaking phase. Rumpus is seen as key to a potential turnaround in the party, while the coming weeks and months will have to show whether he can muster the support and skill needed to restore the party's fragile balance. The conversation about change is now more important than ever in order to overcome the challenges ahead and improve citizens' view of the SPD in Berlin.