SPD leadership turmoil: Heil eyes party chair as Söder shows strength at CSU congress

Unrest is spreading through Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), both among rank-and-file members and in its parliamentary group in the Bundestag. Labour Minister Hubertus Heil is positioning himself as the party's next chair, undermining the standing of Lars Klingbeil. The developments are covered in the Berlin Playbook podcast from the outlet Politico.

The search for a female leadership duo

In the podcast, Maximilian Heimatzheim analyses which women could form a double leadership for the party and why Manuela Schwesig is still hesitating.

Ralf Stegner, an SPD member of the Bundestag who belongs to the party's left wing, calls for a personnel overhaul. He argues that the Social Democrats urgently need to present themselves again as a broad people's party in order to prevent a slump in future elections.

The CSU congress and Söder's future

At the party congress of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the governing party in Bavaria, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder presented himself as the undisputed ruler. According to the podcast, however, Ilse Aigner, president of the Bavarian state parliament, remains an internal threat. Journalist Nikolaus Doll explains why the tactical race for the office of German federal president will decide Söder's political future.

The source gives no details on when or how the SPD leadership question will be settled.