Social Democratic Party of Germany

Social Democratic Party of Germany Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
Abbreviation	SPD
Leader	Co-Leaders: Saskia Esken Norbert Walter-Borjans
General Secretary	Lars Klingbeil
Deputy Leaders	Klara Geywitz Hubertus Heil Kevin Kühnert Serpil Midyatli Anke Rehlinger
Founded	23 May 1863 (158 years ago) (1863-05-23)
Merger of	General German Workers' Association Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany
Headquarters	Willy-Brandt-Haus D-10911 Berlin, Germany
Newspaper	Vorwärts
Student wing	Juso-Hochschulgruppen
Youth wing	Jusos
Women's wing	Association of Social Democratic Women
Paramilitary wing	Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold (1924–1933)
Membership (Nov. 2020)	404,305[1]
Ideology	Social democracy Pro-Europeanism
Political position	Centre-left[2]
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
European Parliament group	Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Colours	Red
Bundestag	152 / 709
Bundesrat	21 / 69
State Parliaments	464 / 1,889
European Parliament	16 / 96
Ministers-president of states	7 / 16
Party flag
Website
spd.de
Politics of Germany Political parties Elections

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The Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, SPD; [zoˈtsi̯aːldemoˌkʁaːtɪʃə paʁˌtaɪ ˈdɔʏtʃlants]) is a social democratic^[3][4][5] political party in Germany. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Germany along with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU). Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans have been the party's leaders since the 2019 leadership election. It is the second-largest party in the Bundestag with 152 out of 709 seats, having won 20.5% of votes cast at the 2017 federal election. The SPD is a junior member of the federal government along with the CDU/CSU which was first formed after the 2013 election and renewed in 2017. The SPD is a member of 11 of the 16 German state governments and is a leading partner in seven of them.

Established in 1863, the SPD is by far the oldest existing political party represented in the Bundestag and was one of the first Marxist-influenced parties in the world. From the 1890s through the early 20th century, the SPD was Europe's largest Marxist party and was consistently the most popular party in Germany.^[6] During the First World War, the party split between a pro-war mainstream and the anti-war Independent Social Democratic Party, of which some members went on to form the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). The SPD played a leading role in the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and was chiefly responsible for the foundation of the Weimar Republic. SPD politician Friedrich Ebert served as the first President of Germany and the SPD was the strongest party until 1932. After the rise of the Nazi Party to power it was the only party in the Reichstag to vote against the Enabling Act of 1933; the SPD was subsequently banned, and operated in exile as the Sopade. After the Second World War, the SPD was re-established. In East Germany, it was forced to merge with the KPD to form the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. In West Germany, the SPD became one of two major parties alongside the CDU/CSU. In the Godesberg Program, the SPD dropped its commitment to Marxism, becoming a big tent party of the centre-left. The SPD led the federal government from 1969 to 1982 and again from 1998 to 2005. It served as a junior partner to the CDU/CSU from 1966 to 1969, 2005 to 2009 and again since 2013.

The SPD holds pro-EU stances and is a member of the Party of European Socialists and sits with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament.^[7][8] With 16 MEPs, it is the third largest party in the group. The SPD was a founding member of the Socialist International, but the party left in 2013 after criticising its acceptance of authoritarian parties. The SPD subsequently founded the Progressive Alliance^[9][10][11] and was joined by numerous other parties around the world. Previously, the SPD was a founding member of both the Second International and the Labour and Socialist International.

History[]

SPD membership statistics (in thousands) since 1945

The SPD finds its origins in the General German Workers' Association, founded in 1863, and the Social Democratic Workers' Party, founded in 1869. The two groups merged in 1875 to create the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany (Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei Deutschlands). From 1878 to 1890, the Anti-Socialist Laws banned any grouping or meeting that aimed at spreading socialist principles, but the party still gained support in elections. In 1890, when the ban was lifted and it could again present electoral lists, the party adopted its current name. The SPD was the largest Marxist party in Europe and consistently the most popular party in German federal elections from 1890 onwards, although it was surpassed by other parties in terms of seats won in the Reichstag due to the electoral system.^[12]

In the years leading up to World War I, the SPD remained ideologically radical in official principle, although many party officials tended to moderation in everyday politics. According to Roger Eatwell and Anthony Wright, the SPD became a party of reform, with social democracy representing "a party that strives after the socialist transformation of society by the means of democratic and economic reforms". They emphasise this development as central to understanding 20th-century social democracy, of which the SPD was a major influence.^[13] In the 1912 federal election, the SPD won 34.8% of votes and finally became the largest party in the Reichstag with 110 seats, although it was still excluded from government.^[14] Despite the Second International's agreement to oppose militarism,^[15] the SPD supported the German war effort and adopted a policy, known as Burgfriedenspolitik, of refraining from calling strikes or criticising the government.^[16][17] Internal opposition to the policy grew throughout the war. Anti-war members were expelled in 1916 and 1917, leading to the formation of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD).^[18]

The SPD played a key role in the German Revolution of 1918–1919. On 9 November 1918, leading SPD member Friedrich Ebert was appointed Chancellor and fellow Social Democrat Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed Germany a republic.^[19] The government introduced a large number of reforms in the following months, introducing various civil liberties and labor rights.^[20] The SPD government, committed to parliamentary liberal democracy, utilised military force against more radical communist groups, leading to a permanent split between the SPD and the USPD (later the Communist Party of Germany).^[21] The SPD was the largest party during the first 13 years of the new Weimar Republic. It decisively won the 1919 federal election with 37.9% of votes, and Ebert became the first President in February.^[22] The position of Chancellor was held by Social Democrats until the 1920 federal election, when the SPD lost a substantial portion of its support, falling to 22% of votes. After this, the SPD yielded the Chancellery to other parties, although it remained part of the government until 1924. Ebert died in 1925 and was succeeded by conservative Paul von Hindenburg. After making gains in the 1928 federal election, the SPD's Hermann Müller became Chancellor.^[23]

Germany was struck hard by the Great Depression and, unable to negotiate an effective response to the crisis, Müller resigned in 1930. The SPD was politically sidelined as the Nazi Party gained popularity and conservatives dominated the government, assisted by President von Hindenburg's frequent use of emergency powers. The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, the SPD's paramilitary wing, was frequently involved in violent confrontations with the Nazi Sturmabteilung.^[24] The Nazis overtook the SPD as the largest party in July 1932 and Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor in January 1933. Of the parties present in the Reichstag during the passage of the Enabling Act of 1933, the SPD was the only one to vote against; most of the Communist deputies had been arrested ahead of the vote.^[25] The SPD was formally banned in June. Many members were subsequently imprisoned and killed by the Nazi government while others fled the country. In exile, the party used the name Sopade.^[26]

After the end of World War II, the re-establishment of the SPD was permitted in the Western occupation zones in 1945. In the Soviet occupation zone, the SPD was forcibly merged with the Communist Party in 1946 to form the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). The SED became the ruling party of East Germany until 1989.^[27] In West Germany, the SPD became one of two major parties, alongside the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In the inaugural 1949 federal election, it placed second with 29.2% of votes and led the opposition to the CDU government.^[28] In its 1959 Godesberg Program, the party dropped its commitment to Marxism and sought to appeal to middle-class voters, becoming a big tent party of the centre-left.^[29]

After 17 years in opposition, the SPD became the junior partner in a grand coalition with the CDU/CSU which lasted from 1966 to 1969. After the 1969 federal election, the SPD's Willy Brandt became Chancellor in a coalition with the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). His government sought to normalise relations with East Germany and the Eastern Bloc, a policy known as Ostpolitik.^[30] The party achieved its best ever result of 45.8% in 1972, one of only three occasions in which it formed the largest Bundestag faction.^[31] After Brandt's resignation in 1974, his successor Helmut Schmidt served as Chancellor until 1982, when the SPD returned to opposition.^[32] During the Peaceful Revolution in East Germany, the East German SPD was refounded. It merged with the West German party in 1990, shortly before German reunification.^[33]

The SPD returned to government under Gerhard Schröder after the 1998 federal election in a coalition with The Greens.^[34] This government was re-elected in 2002, but defeated in 2005.^[35] The SPD then became junior partner of a grand coalition with the CDU/CSU until 2009. After a term in opposition, they again served as junior partner to the CDU/CSU from 2013 federal election.^[36] This arrangement was renewed after the 2017 federal election.^[37]

Party platform[]

The SPD was established as a Marxist party in 1875. The party underwent a major shift in policies, reflected in the differences between the Heidelberg Program of 1925 which called for "the transformation of the capitalist system of private ownership of the means of production to social ownership"^[38] and the Godesberg Program of 1959 which aimed to broaden the party's voter base and to move its political position toward the political centre.^[39] After World War II, the SPD in eastern Germany was merged with the Communist Party of Germany to form the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany in East Germany, while the SPD was reformed in West Germany after being banned by the Nazi regime. Under the chairmanship (1946–1952) of Kurt Schumacher, the SPD was a socialist party representing the interests of the working class and of trade unions. With the 1959 Godesberg Program, the party evolved from a socialist working-class party to a modern social-democratic party working within democratic capitalism. The SPD's Hamburg Programme, adopted in 2007, describes democratic socialism as "an order of economy, state and society in which the civil, political, social and economic fundamental rights are guaranteed for all people, all people live a life without exploitation, oppression and violence, that is in social and human security" and as a "vision of a free, just and solidary society", the realization of which is emphasized as a "permanent task". Social democracy serves as the "principle of action".^[40]

Sigmar Gabriel, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (2013–2018) and former chairman of the SPD

The party platform of the SPD espouses the goal of social democracy, which it envisions as a societal arrangement in which freedom and social justice are paramount. According to the party platform, political freedom, justice and social solidarity form the basis of social democracy.

• The coordinated social market economy should be strengthened and its output should be distributed fairly. The party sees that economic system as necessary in order to ensure the affluence of the entire population.
• The SPD also tries to protect society's poor with a welfare state.
• Concurrently, it advocates a sustainable fiscal policy that does not place a burden on future generations while eradicating budget deficits.
• In social policy, the Social Democrats stand for civil and political rights in an open society.
• In foreign policy, the party aims at ensuring global peace by balancing global interests with democratic means; European integration is one of the main priorities of the party.
• The SPD supports economic regulations to limit potential losses for banks and people. They support a common European economic and financial policy to prevent speculative bubbles as well as to foster environmentally sustainable growth.^[41]

Internal factions[]

The SPD is mostly composed of members belonging to either of the two main wings, namely the Keynesian social democrats and Third Way moderate social democrats belonging to the Seeheimer Kreis. While the more moderate Seeheimer Kreis generally support the Agenda 2010 programs introduced by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, the Keynesian social democrats continue to defend classical left-wing policies and the welfare state. The classical left-wing of the SPD claims that in recent years the welfare state has been curtailed through reform programs such as the Agenda 2010, Hartz IV, and the more economic liberal stance of the SPD which were endorsed by centrist social democrats.^[42][43] In reaction to Agenda 2010, an inner-party dissident movement developed, leading to the foundation of the new party Labour and Social Justice – The Electoral Alternative (Arbeit & soziale Gerechtigkeit – Die Wahlalternative, WASG) in 2005, which later merged into The Left (Die Linke) in 2007.^[44] The Parlamentarische Linke comprises left-wing SPD Members of the German Bundestag.

Base of support[]

Social structure[]

Before World War II, as the main non-revolutionary left-wing party the Social Democrats fared best among non-Catholic workers as well as intellectuals favouring social progressive causes and increased economic equality. Led by Kurt Schumacher after World War II, the SPD initially opposed both the social market economy and Konrad Adenauer's drive towards Western integration fiercely, but after Schumacher's death it accepted the social market economy and Germany's position in the Western alliance in order to appeal to a broader range of voters. It still remains associated with the economic causes of unionised employees and working class voters. In the 1990s, the left and moderate wings of the party drifted apart, culminating in a secession of a significant number of party members which later joined the socialist party WASG, which later merged into The Left (Die Linke).

Geographic distribution[]

2017 federal election SPD results

Geographically, much of the SPD's current-day support comes from large cities, especially of northern and western Germany and Berlin. As of 2019, 10 of the country's 15 biggest cities are led by SPD mayors. The metropolitan area of the Ruhr Area, where coal mining and steel production were once the biggest sources of revenues, have provided a significant base for the SPD in the 20th century. In the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, the SPD has governed without interruption since 1949. In southern Germany, the SPD typically garners less support except in the largest cities. At the 2009 federal election, the party lost its only constituency in the entire state of Bavaria (in Munich).

Small town and rural support comes especially from the traditionally Protestant areas of northern Germany and Brandenburg (with notable exceptions such as Western Pomerania where CDU leader Angela Merkel has her constituency) and a number of university towns. A striking example of the general pattern is the traditionally Catholic Emsland, where the Social Democrats generally gain a low percentage of votes, whereas the Reformed Protestant region of East Frisia directly to the north, with its strong traditional streak of anti-Catholicism, is one of their strongest constituencies. Further south, the SPD also enjoys solid support in northern Hesse, parts of Palatinate and the Saarland. The social democrats are weakest in the south-eastern states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia, where the party's percentage of votes dropped to single-digit figures in the 2018 and 2019 elections.

Chairperson of the SPD, 1946–present[]

Leader of the SPD in the Bundestag[]

Federal President from the SPD[]

Federal Chancellors from the SPD[]

Vice-Chancellors from the SPD[]

Election results[]

Election results and governments since 1949

The SPD, at times called SAPD, participated in general elections determining the members of parliament. For the elections until 1933, the parliament was called Reichstag, except for the one of 1919 which was called the National Assembly and since 1949 the parliament is called Bundestag. Note that changes in borders (1871, 1919, 1920, 1949, 1957 and 1990) varied the number of eligible voters whereas electoral laws also changed the ballot system (only constituencies until 1912, only party lists until 1949 and a mixed system thereafter), the suffrage (women vote since 1919; minimum active voting age was 25 till 1918, 20 till 1946, 21 till 1972 and 18 since), the number of seats (fixed or flexible) and the length of the legislative period (three or four years). The list begins after the SPD was formed in 1875, when labour parties unified to only form the SPD (then SAPD, current name since 1890).

Imperial Germany (Reichstag)[]

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Status
1877	493,447	9.1 (#4)	13 / 397		Opposition
1878	437,158	7.6 (#5)	9 / 397	4	Opposition
1881	311,961	6.1 (#7)	13 / 397	4	Opposition
1884	549,990	9.7 (#5)	24 / 397	11	Opposition
1887	763,102	10.1 (#5)	11 / 397	13	Opposition
1890	1,427,323	19.7 (#1)	35 / 397	24	Opposition
1893	1,786,738	23.3 (#1)	44 / 397	9	Opposition
1898	2,107,076	27.2 (#1)	56 / 397	12	Opposition
1903	3,010,771	31.7 (#1)	81 / 397	25	Opposition
1907	3,259,029	28.9 (#1)	43 / 397	38	Opposition
1912	4,250,399	34.8 (#1)	110 / 397	67	Opposition
					Coalition
					Coalition

Weimar Republic (Reichstag)[]

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Status
1919	11,509,048	37.9 (#1)	165 / 423	55	Coalition
1920	6,179,991	21.9 (#1)	102 / 459	63	External support
					Coalition
					External support
					Coalition
					Opposition
May 1924	6,008,905	20.5 (#1)	100 / 472	2	Opposition
Dec 1924	7,881,041	26.0 (#1)	131 / 493	31	Opposition
					External support
					Opposition
1928	9,152,979	29.8 (#1)	153 / 491	22	Coalition
1930	8,575,244	24.5 (#1)	143 / 577	10	Opposition
Jul 1932	7,959,712	21.6 (#2)	133 / 608	10	Opposition
Nov 1932	7,247,901	20.4 (#2)	121 / 584	12	Opposition
Mar 1933	7,181,629	18.3 (#2)	120 / 667	1	Opposition
Nov 1933	Banned. The National Socialist German Workers Party was the sole legal party.
1936	Banned. The National Socialist German Workers Party was the sole legal party.
1938	Banned. The National Socialist German Workers Party was the sole legal party.

Federal parliament (Bundestag)[]

Election	Constituency		Party list		Seats	+/–	Status
	Votes	%	Votes	%
1949			6,934,975	29.2 (#2)	131 / 402		Opposition
1953	8,131,257	29.5 (#2)	7,944,943	28.8 (#2)	162 / 509	22	Opposition
1957	11,975,400	32.0 (#2)	11,875,339	31.8 (#2)	181 / 519	19	Opposition
1961	11,672,057	36.5 (#1)	11,427,355	36.2 (#1)	203 / 521	22	Opposition
1965	12,998,474	40.1 (#1)	12,813,186	39.3 (#1)	217 / 518	14	Opposition (1965–66)
							CDU/CSU–SPD (1966–69)
1969	14,402,374	44.0 (#1)	14,065,716	42.7 (#1)	237 / 518	20	SPD–FDP
1972	18,228,239	48.9 (#1)	17,175,169	45.8 (#1)	242 / 518	5	SPD–FDP
1976	16,471,321	43.7 (#1)	16,099,019	42.6 (#1)	224 / 518	18	SPD–FDP
1980	16,808,861	44.5 (#1)	16,260,677	42.9 (#1)	228 / 519	4	SPD–FDP (1980–82)
							Opposition (1982–83)
1983	15,686,033	40.4 (#2)	14,865,807	38.2 (#1)	202 / 520	26	Opposition
1987	14,787,953	39.2 (#1)	14,025,763	37.0 (#1)	193 / 519	9	Opposition
1990	16,279,980	35.2 (#2)	15,545,366	33.5 (#2)	239 / 662	46	Opposition
1994	17,966,813	38.3 (#1)	17,140,354	36.4 (#1)	252 / 672	13	Opposition
1998	21,535,893	43.8 (#1)	20,181,269	40.9 (#1)	298 / 669	43	SPD–Greens
2002	20,059,967	41.9 (#1)	18,484,560	38.5 (#1)	251 / 603	47	SPD–Greens
2005	18,129,100	38.4 (#1)	16,194,665	34.2 (#1)	222 / 614	29	CDU/CSU–SPD
2009	12,077,437	27.9 (#2)	9,988,843	23.0 (#2)	146 / 622	76	Opposition
2013	12,835,933	29.4 (#2)	11,247,283	25.7 (#2)	193 / 630	42	CDU/CSU–SPD
2017	11,426,613	24.6 (#2)	9,538,367	20.5 (#2)	153 / 709	40	CDU/CSU–SPD

European Parliament[]

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
1979	11,370,045	40.8 (#1)	33 / 81
1984	9,296,417	37.4 (#2)	32 / 81	1
1989	10,525,728	37.3 (#1)	30 / 81	2
1994	11,389,697	32.2 (#1)	40 / 99	10
1999	8,307,085	30.7 (#2)	33 / 99	7
2004	5,547,971	21.5 (#2)	23 / 99	10
2009	5,472,566	20.8 (#2)	23 / 99	0
2014	7,999,955	27.2 (#2)	27 / 96	4
2019	5,914,953	15.8 (#3)	16 / 96	11

State Parliaments (Länder)[]

State parliament	Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Status
Baden-Württemberg	2021	535,462	11.0 (#3)	19 / 154	0	Opposition
Bavaria	2018	1,317,942	9.7 (#5)	22 / 205	20	Opposition
Berlin	2016	352,369	21.6 (#1)	38 / 160	10	SPD–Left–Greens
Brandenburg	2019	331,238	26.2 (#1)	25 / 88	5	SPD–CDU–Greens
Bremen	2019	365,315	24.9 (#2)	23 / 84	7	SPD–Greens–Left
Hamburg	2020	1,554,760	39.0 (#1)	54 / 123	4	SPD–Greens
Hesse	2018	570,166	19.8 (#3)	29 / 137	8	Opposition
Lower Saxony	2017	1,413,990	36.9 (#1)	55 / 137	6	SPD–CDU
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern	2016	246,393	30.6 (#1)	28 / 71	2	SPD–CDU
North Rhine-Westphalia	2017	2,649,205	31.2 (#2)	69 / 199	30	Opposition
Rhineland-Palatinate	2021	691,055	35.7 (#1)	39 / 101	0	SPD–Greens–FDP
Saarland	2017	157,841	29.6 (#2)	17 / 51	0	CDU–SPD
Saxony	2019	167,289	7.7 (#5)	10 / 119	8	CDU–Greens–SPD
Saxony-Anhalt	2021	89,475	8.4 (#4)	9 / 97	2	TBD
Schleswig-Holstein	2017	400,635	27.2 (#2)	21 / 73	1	Opposition
Thuringia	2019	90,984	8.2 (#4)	8 / 90	4	Left–SPD–Greens

Results timeline[]

Year	DE	EU		BW			BY	BE	BB	HB	HH	HE	NI	MV	NW	RP	SL	SN	ST	SH	TH
				SB	WB	WH
1946	N/A	N/A			31.9		28.6	48.7	[a]	47.6	43.1	42.7		[a]				[a]	[a]		[a]
1947				22.4		20.8				41.7			43.4		32.0	34.3	32.8			43.8
1948								64.5
1949	29.2										42.8
1950					33.0		28.0	44.7	N/A			44.4		N/A	32.3			N/A	N/A	27.5	N/A
1951										39.1			33.7			34.0
1952				28.0													32.4
1953	28.8										45.2
1954							28.1	44.6				42.6			34.5					33.2
1955										47.8			35.2			31.7	20.1
1956				28.9
1957	31.8										53.9
1958							30.8	52.6				46.9			39.2					35.9
1959										54.9			39.5			34.9
1960				35.3													30.0
1961	36.2										57.4
1962							35.3					50.8			43.3					39.2
1963								61.9		54.7			44.9			40.7
1964				37.3
1965	39.3																40.7
1966							35.8				59.0	51.0			49.5
1967								56.9		46.0			43.1			36.8				39.4
1968				29.0
1969	42.7
1970							33.3				55.3	45.9	46.3		46.1		40.8
1971								50.4		55.3						40.5				41.0
1972	45.8			37.6
1973
1974							30.2				45.0	43.2	43.1
1975								42.6		48.8					45.1	38.5	41.8			40.1
1976	42.6			33.3
1977
1978							31.4				51.5	44.3	42.2
1979		40.8						42.7		48.8						42.3				41.7
1980	42.9			32.5											48.4		45.4
1981								38.3
1982							31.9				42.7	42.8	36.5
											51.3
1983	38.2									51.3		46.2				39.6				43.7
1984		37.4		32.4
1985								32.4							52.1		49.2
1986							27.5				41.7		42.1
1987	37.0									50.5	45.0	40.2				38.8				45.2
1988				32.0																54.8
1989		37.3						37.3
1990	33.5						26.0	30.4	38.2				44.2	27.0	50.0		54.4	19.1	26.0		22.8
1991										38.8	48.0	40.8				44.8
1992				29.4																46.2
1993											40.4
1994	36.4	32.2					30.0		54.1				44.3	29.5			49.4	16.6	34.0		29.6
1995								23.6		33.4		38.0			46.0
1996				25.1												39.8				39.8
1997											36.2
1998	40.9						28.7						47.9	34.3					35.9
1999		30.7						22.4	39.3	42.6		39.4					44.4	10.7			18.5
2000															42.8					43.1
2001				33.3							36.5					44.8
								29.7
2002	38.5													40.6					20.0
2003							19.6			42.3		29.1	33.4
2004		21.5							31.9		30.5						30.8	9.8			14.5
2005	34.2														37.1					38.7
2006				25.2				30.8						30.2		45.6			21.4
2007										36.7
2008			18.6							34.1	36.7	30.3
2009	23.0	20.8							33.0		23.7		24.5				10.4	25.4		18.5
2010															34.5
2011				23.1			28.3	38.6		48.4				35.6		35.7			21.5
2012														39.1		30.6			30.4
2013	25.7		20.6								30.7	32.6
2014		27.3							31.9								12.4			12.4
2015									32.8	45.6
2016				12.7			21.6						30.6		36.2			10.6
2017	20.5											36.9		31.2		29.6			27.3
2018			9.7								19.8
2019		15.8						26.2	24.9								7.7			8.2
2020										39.2
2021	TBD			11.0			TBD						TBD		35.7			8.4
Year	DE	EU		BW			BY	BE	BB	HB	HH	HE	NI	MV	NW	RP	SL	SN	ST	SH	TH
Bold indicates best result to date.   Present in legislature (in opposition)   Junior coalition partner   Senior coalition partner

Party leadership[]

The federal leader is supported by six Deputy Leaders and the party executive.

The current leaders are Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans. The previous leader was Andrea Nahles. She announced her pending resignation on 2 June 2019.

As Germany is a federal republic, each of Germany's states have their own SPD party at the state level. The current leaders of the SPD state parties are the following:

Notes[]

See also[]

• Bundestag (Federal Assembly of Germany)
• Elections in the Free State of Prussia
• List of political parties in Germany
• Mierscheid Law
• Party finance in Germany
• Politics of Germany
• Weimar Republic
• Iron Front

References[]

Further reading[]

• Orlow, Dietrich. Common Destiny: A Comparative History of the Dutch, French, and German Social Democratic Parties, 1945–1969 (2000) online.
• Carl E. Schorske, German Social Democracy, 1905–1917: The Development of the Great Schism (Harvard University Press, 1955).
• Vernon L. Lidtke, The Outlawed Party: Social Democracy in Germany, 1878–1890 (Princeton University Press, 1966).
• Berlau, Abraham. German Social Democratic Party, 1914–1921 (Columbia University Press, 1949).
• Maxwell, John Allen. "Social Democracy in a Divided Germany: Kurt Schumacher and the German Question, 1945-1952." Ph.D dissertation, West Virginia University, Department of History, Morgantown, West Virginia, 1969.
• McAdams, A. James. "Germany Divided: From the Wall to Reunification." Princeton University Press, 1992 and 1993.
• Erich Matthias, The Downfall of the Old Social Democratic Party in 1933 pages 51–105 from Republic to Reich The Making of the Nazi Revolution Ten Essays edited by Hajo Holborn, (New York: Pantheon Books, 1972).
• Eric D. Weitz, Creating German Communism, 1890-1990: From Popular Protests to Socialist State. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997.
• David Priestand, Red Flag: A History of Communism," New York: Grove Press, 2009.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Social Democratic Party of Germany.

• Official website (in German)
• History of the German social-democratic party