Köpping calls on SPD to be self-critical

Self-criticism instead of whitewashing: Saxony's social affairs minister and deputy federal SPD chair Petra Köpping talks openly about mistakes within her own ranks. "We still have to come to terms with the SPD's election defeat," she said in the "Politics in Saxony" podcast by "Sächsische Zeitung" and "Leipziger Volkszeitung".

Shortly after the SPD federal party conference, the 67-year-old politician called on her party to do more to come to terms with its own mistakes - both at federal and state level. "The election defeat, the loss of the chancellorship, the loss of many mandates and much more is still in people's bones," emphasized Köpping.

Criticism of Lars Klingbeil

In Köpping's opinion, this also led to the extremely poor performance of former and new SPD leader Lars Klingbeil at the party conference. "The fact that he virtually appointed himself leader of the parliamentary group two days after the election also contributed to people saying: 'Lars Klingbeil, that's not how it works. Guys, you can't do it like that'."

The fact that one of the chairpersons took on responsibility and the other did not must also have offended many, Köpping said, alluding to the withdrawal of Saskia Esken. Köpping herself had stood for election to the new SPD leadership and was given one of the deputy positions.

Köpping warns her party in Saxony against forming camps

In Saxony, too, she would like to see less camp formation and more togetherness in the party leadership, said Köpping. This also includes listening to each other's criticism and being able to deal with it. However, the harsh criticism from long-time SPD state leader and former Economics Minister Martin Dulig at the recent state party conference was "not right".

Dulig had made it public at the party conference that he would not be re-electing parliamentary group leader Henning Homann as party leader. "A small group is making the party its prey," said Dulig and accused Homann of making mistakes in forming the government and also in the negotiations on the double budget.

Köpping was surprised by the attack. "Also because he has signaled to me that he has found peace with himself," she said of Dulig. For him, leaving office was a "stark change", he had responsibility and was now part of a group: "So in that respect, he needs to learn that."