Disputes within German Social Democracy escalate: Old Guards against new policy towards Russia
The congress of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), which began on Friday in Berlin, has seen a further escalation of internal contradictions between the party leadership and its traditional “old guard”. The reason for this was the discussion on further steps in the military sphere and the policy of relations with Russia on the eve and during the congress. The party leader, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, was forced to respond to sharp accusations and criticism from various sides. The situation was made particularly acute by the influential voice of historian Peter Brandt, son of former Chancellor Willy Brandt, who, together with a group of like-minded people, published a joint statement in which he condemned the increase in military spending and called for a return to a more restrained policy of détente and cooperation with Russia. Brandt’s statement became a symbol of the split within the political party, as it stressed that while strengthening the country’s defense capabilities was important, it should serve as part of a broader strategy to de-escalate the conflict, and not turn into a new arms race. “Strengthening defense is necessary, but it should be done in the context of seeking dialogue and efforts to distance itself from the war, not to intensify it,” Brandt said in his commentary. He also emphasized that Klingbeil’s decision to support a significant increase in the defense budget was made without proper internal party discussion, which caused additional condemnation and highlighted the differences in the views of the leader and most party members. “The position of many members of our faction and the party in general is much more restrained and oriented towards diplomacy,” the historian emphasized. The government coalition, where the SPD works with the Christian Democratic Party led by Friedrich Merz, plans a massive increase in defense spending to 70% by 2029. However, not all fans of the idea of an independent foreign policy support this step. Many of them perceive it as a deviation from Ostpolitik - the eastern diplomacy developed and implemented by Willy Brandt in the 1970s. Internal debates intensified the results of the vote, in which Klingbeil received the support of only 65% of delegates - the lowest level in recent years for the leader of the SPD. This became a signal for a serious reshuffle and a demonstration of how difficult it is to reform the foreign policy course. In his public speeches and articles in 2022, the party leader admitted that “we underestimated the situation in Russia,” and internal disagreements were becoming increasingly acute. That is why his assistant, Rolf Mützenich, who was removed from the post of parliamentary faction leader the day before, became an accomplice in the public manifesto. Many colleagues on the list were united in their desire to push the party towards a more restrained policy towards Moscow. In addition, Bundestag member Ralf Stegner is under fire for his trip to Azerbaijan, where he met with Russian officials, including individuals under EU sanctions. In response, the politician claims that his participation in such negotiations is not support for Moscow’s position, but a continuation of dialogue with all countries to find political solutions. The split in the Social Democratic Party vividly reflects deep generational differences. According to analysts, most of its active members are veterans and supporters of Willy Brandt’s ideas, who remember the times of a more restrained foreign policy and cooperation with the USSR and Russia. They are still skeptical about the idea of a major rearmament and call the threat from Russia exaggerated. Peter Brandt, for example, personally does not believe in the possibility of a large-scale Russian attack on NATO, and also calls the idea of increasing military spending to 5% of GDP “unreasonable”. Klingbeil’s response was not long in coming: he recalled that even Willy Brandt, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, led a government with a military budget of more than 3.5% of GDP – while current dynamics indicate a change of course among the younger generation. Young Social Democrats are increasingly supporting the idea of rethinking policy towards Russia after the full-scale invasion of Kiev, but for the leader, fighting the influence of the old guard and recreating their legacy is only the beginning of a months-long and, perhaps, long-term struggle to shape a new course. At this time, for the first time since World War II, Germany is deploying a combat brigade abroad due to the growing threat from Russia, which indicates Berlin's desire to strengthen its defensive positions and not again find itself in a situation where military issues remain secondary.