The Saxon SPD has opted for continuity in the election of its dual leadership: the current chairpersons Kathrin Michel and Henning Homann were confirmed in office at the state party conference in Dresden. Homann received 96 yes votes, 76.8 percent of the delegates' votes, while Michel received 108 yes votes (86.4 percent). The duo has led the Saxon Social Democrats since October 2021. According to its own figures, the party has just under 5,000 members in the state.
During the debate, there was surprisingly strong criticism from former Economics Minister Martin Dulig: he had declared that he did not want to vote for Homann. "A small group is making the party its prey," said the SPD member of the state parliament. Dulig accused Homann of making mistakes when forming the government and also in the negotiations on the double budget. He also said that the party leadership lacked an appropriate strategy to be successful in the next state election in 2029.
In view of the party's poor performance in the federal and state elections, Michel said that there should be no "business as usual". "The SPD needs more than an update, it needs a real renewal". At the party conference, the party intends to discuss, among other things, a key motion, which on the one hand deals with the internal reappraisal of the election results, but also with the positioning for the future. Homann emphasized: "Our aim must be to reach double digits again in Saxony." In the state election on September 1, 2024, the SPD received 7.3 percent of the vote - it currently forms a minority government together with the CDU.
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