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Unsurprisingly, the SPD of Rhineland-Palatinate chose Prime Minister Malu Dreyer as the main candidate for the state elections on March 14. The 59-year-old politician received 99.7 percent of the vote Saturday with just one vote against.
With this, the Prime Minister achieved an even better result than when she was elected top candidate in 2015. In a combative speech before her election, Dreyer affirmed the claim “that we want to shape.” He called on the people in Rhineland-Palatinate to “put the man and the mouse in motion” in the 99 days until the elections and to convey to the people in Rhineland-Palatinate what the SPD’s ideas were for the future of the state.
Schweitzer, Ahnen and Lewentz in places two to four
The other 51 candidates on the state list were also chosen in the party’s congress on Saturday. Parliamentary group leader Alexander Schweitzer was elected second to Dreyer, Finance Minister Doris Ahnen in third place and party leader Roger Lewentz in fourth.
Men and women alternate between running for the top 42 places. Lewentz said the party was sending a clear signal of gender equality.
The “digital night” announced the convention of the list party in Mainz
The election to the state list for the state elections of March 14 of next year was the only item on the agenda on the second day of the meeting. At first, the delegates rose to the silent memory of the victims of the riot in Trier.
On Friday, Dreyer and Lewentz had already given programmatic speeches at a “digital evening” at the beginning of the party congress. Lewentz gave a target of 36 percent of the vote in state elections, after CDU challenger Christian Baldauf had called the 35 percent mark on the same day. Dreyer announced that she was eager to be the top candidate in the state elections for the second time.
Lewentz: “It depends on the force in Rhineland-Palatinate”
“We have a lot of work to do,” Lewentz said. “If you have a meager 15, 16 percent at the federal level, it depends on our strength in Rhineland-Palatinate.” In the week of the uproar in Trier, the SPD wanted to refrain from “harshly attacking the opponent” at its party congress.
“I want us to be one step ahead when it comes to education in the future,” Dreyer said. He announced that the “Media Competition Makes School” program, which was launched in 2007, will be expanded and developed into a “State Digital School Program.” The components should be a “training offensive” for teachers, the provision of digital devices, fast Internet connections and technical support.
Dreyer: “Climate protection is not a problem for a party”
Dreyer spoke about the climate crisis in more detail than usual. “Climate protection is not a party issue,” the prime minister said, referring to the green coalition partner. “It is the theme of all of us.” He campaigned in favor of citizen energy cooperatives and greater participation of tenants in the energy transition. These must also use inexpensive own electricity if a solar system is installed with them. “And I also want you to be able to set up your own mini-photovoltaic system that you can install on your balcony.” The CDU should no longer oppose a fundamental change to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG).
