Hubertus Heil does not rule out running for SPD leader
The former labour minister told ARD he is getting a lot of encouragement from the party. Party leader Lars Klingbeil has not yet said whether he will run again.
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Former federal labour minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) does not rule out running for the party leadership. "I cannot rule that out," he said on Sunday on ARD's "Bericht aus Berlin". He said he is receiving a lot of encouragement from the SPD. Whether he runs depends on "which direction we take together and who the team is".
Heil said his aim is not to set himself apart from anyone but to make the SPD stronger and more recognisable. "One person alone will not manage it, because the tasks are big," he said. The party must take responsibility and be willing to compromise, and the coalition must deliver.
After co-leader Bärbel Bas resigned, the SPD plans to elect a new leadership at a special party conference in January. Party leader Lars Klingbeil, who is also finance minister and vice chancellor, has not said whether he will run again. Heil also voiced "considerable doubts" that the Left Party in Berlin is willing and able to govern.