("One thing that cannot be said of the SPD Chancellor candidate: that he hasn't done everything to help Angela Merkel attain a third Chancellorship ...) - Albrecht von Lucke, 15 Jahre von 150: Die Misere der SPD Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik 4/2013 (Apr 2013)
That Chancellor candidate is Peer Steinbrück, an uninspiring hack. His sad candidacy is just the latest symptom of the collapse of the SPD as a center-left party after its capitulation to the neoliberal ideology that is destroying so many European economies.
The SPD celebrated the anniversary in Leipzig on May 23. (Germany's SPD party celebrates 150th anniversary Deutsche Welle English 23.05.2013) This kind of tells it all about the current state of the Party:
Chancellor Angela Merkel, who attended the event, praised the historical role of the SPD in the local daily the Leipziger Volkszeitung, as "a valiant and unyielding voice of democracy in Germany."At least they didn't invite her to address the crowd. Just to sit in the front row.
"For these services, which cannot be valued highly enough, the SPD deserves my respect and appreciation," wrote Merkel, who leads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
The latest polls have given Merkel's conservatives a wide lead ahead of the Social Democrats, whose chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück has suffered through a series of campaign missteps ahead of September's federal election.
The DW English article includes a slideshow on the history of the SPD. One that manages to completely omit any reference to its most famous member and co-founder, Karl Marx. Good grief!
A short DW English report on the event, Germany's Social Democrats mark 150 years 05/23/2013:
The SPD prepared this film to celebrate the occasion:
150 Jahre SPD - der Film: "Wenn du was verändern willst..." (1. Kapitel) SPDVision 02/08/2013:
2. Kapitel 03/20/2013:
3. Kapitel 05/07/2013:
Tags: angela merkel, sozialdemokratische partei deutschlands, spd
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