Chancellor Olaf Scholz has to prepare for sharper opposition from the SPD’s younger generation. The two candidates for the leadership of the Young Socialists, Sarah Mohamed and Philipp Türmer, made this clear in the newspapers of the Funke media group.
“We have to be louder, more left-wing and more critical and push the SPD and the Chancellor forward,” said Mohamed. “The relationship will become very cool between the Jusos and Olaf Scholz,” she added. Opposing candidate Türmer told the Funke newspapers: “I think it is urgently necessary that we Jusos accompany the Chancellor and his line much more critically from now on. Olaf Scholz has to be prepared for that.”
Scholz stays away from the Juso Congress
The Jusos meet in Braunschweig from Friday to Saturday for the federal congress. Mohamed and Türmer are applying to succeed the previous Juso chairwoman Jessica Rosenthal. The election is scheduled for Friday afternoon. Scholz had turned down an invitation to the Juso congress for scheduling reasons. Labor Minister Hubertus Heil will be there, as will party leader Saskia Esken and Secretary General Kevin Kühnert.
Mohamed and Türmer particularly criticized the Social Democrats’ migration policy. “The SPD, Olaf Scholz and Nancy Faeser have crossed red lines on the asylum and migration issue,” judged Mohamed. “The SPD must not take part in racist agitation against migrants and those seeking protection,” she warned. There will be “strong opposition” from the Jusos.
Türmer complained: “We Social Democrats should never belittle the weakest with our policies.” That betrays social democratic values. He not only accuses Interior Minister Faeser of this, but also the Chancellor, who determines the guidelines for government policy.
The youth association of the SPD has around 70,000 members. With 49 members, it also represents almost a quarter of the Bundestag faction.
