With their new chairman Philipp Türmer, the Jusos want to go back on a more confrontational course with the federal government and the parent party SPD. The Young Socialists elected the 27-year-old as their leader in Braunschweig with a narrow majority of 54 percent of the valid votes. Türmer, who has previously been Juso vice-president, is considered critical and left-wing. There is a need for “loud, independent, courageous Jusos again,” he said.
Since the 2021 federal election, things have become noticeably quiet around the SPD youth – which is probably also due to the fact that 49 Jusos entered the Bundestag and no longer expressed themselves quite as freely and critically. Türmer is now likely to give more opposition to his comrade and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Even in his application speech, he did not shy away from criticism. The people to whom the SPD had promised more respect in the election campaign turned away from the party, he said. He is horrified by “how little this Chancellor does for those who so deserve his respect.”
“If anything still reaches you in your castle, in your Berlin Chancellery, if you still remember which party you ran for, change your course,” demanded Türmer von Scholz. The Chancellor must finally make the fight against poverty and for distributive justice a top priority.
“Dare to do social democratic politics again”
Instead of providing solutions, Scholz polemicizes on migration policy, for example. The Chancellor had promised deportations “on a large scale” in “Spiegel”. But more money for housing, infrastructure and education helps municipalities much more, argued Türmer. “Dare to do social democratic politics again and stop betraying the values of this movement,” he demanded. Social democracy should never step down.
The 27-year-old prevailed in the presidential election against 31-year-old Sarah Mohamed, who was also previously Juso vice-president. She also attacked the parent party harshly because of its migration policy. The SPD is stepping down against the weakest. That is “unworthy of social democracy.” “I want us as Jusos to be strongly positioned to turn the SPD to the left,” demanded Mohamed.
Both candidates for the chairmanship of the SPD youth had fought a tough election campaign. They were supported by various state associations, which also loudly promoted their candidates at the federal congress in Braunschweig. After the result was announced, Mohamed’s supporters expressed disappointment. Reuniting the youth association should therefore be one of the first tasks of the new board.
The previous Juso chairwoman, Bundestag member Jessica Rosenthal, did not run again. She is having a child and is therefore slowing down.
