Good results for SPD minister presidents in party leadership

The SPD has completed its leadership with the election of five deputy party leaders. The SPD party conference in Berlin elected Saxony's Social Affairs Minister Petra Köpping (91.8 percent), Schleswig-Holstein parliamentary group leader Serpil Midyatli (77.6 percent), NRW state leader Achim Post (77.1 percent), Saarland Minister President Anke Rehlinger (97.2 percent) and her Rhineland-Palatinate counterpart Joachim Schweitzer (95.3 percent).

Furthermore, Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil was confirmed as party leader and Labor Minister Bärbel Bas was newly elected to the party leadership. Klingbeil only received 64.9 percent of the vote - the second-worst result ever for an SPD leader. Bas, who is on the left of the party, received 95% of the delegates' votes. Tim Klüssendorf received 90.8 percent of the vote in his election as General Secretary.