SPD in the dispute: Manifesto calls for a change of course in Russia policy!

SPD in the dispute: Manifesto calls for a change of course in Russia policy!

In the SPD, a dispute rages about a new position paper on Russia policy that signed more than 100 members of the party. [RBB24] (https://www.rbb24.de/partiu/2025/06/spd-manifest-aussenpruestung- reaction-woidke-wagenknecht.html) reports that the manifesto calls for a clear course change in security and defense policy and emphasizes that diplomatic efforts in Europe are urgently necessary. Among the signing are prominent figures such as Rolf Mützenich, Ralf Stegner and Norbert Walter-Borjans.

The manifesto calls for an end to military upgrading and rejects the stationing of new US medium-sized routes in Germany. Instead, the authors advocate defensive equipment for the armed forces and a stronger focus on arms control. A rejection of the high defense spending is on fertile soil: the content is viewed critically by numerous members of the parliamentary group.

reactions to the manifesto

Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke thinks the debate about the manifesto is exaggerated and sees different opinions within the SPD as normal. Ralf Stegner, on the other hand, argues that the military strategy has failed and confirms the need to continue to support Ukraine. In a contrast to this, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius categorizes the manifesto as a form of refusal to reality and emphasizes that Russia under Vladimir Putin has no interest in negotiations.

The SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, meanwhile, excludes a Ukraine support in the support of Ukraine. These differences within the party mean that Pistorius plans to address the manifest's demands in the upcoming federal party conference and does not expect the party to change the course. Sahra Wagenknecht from BSW also expressed her interest in working with the signatories of the manifesto.

SPD and the way to the future

The procedure and demands of the manifesto contradict the current course of the Federal Government and the SPD leadership. Critical voices from the parliamentary group, such as Sebastian Fiedler, emphasize that the majority of the SPD members are behind the coalition agreement. Michael Roth even goes so far as to describe the manifesto as "wine -making melange of bossy and historical cleavage".

In the context of social democratic peace policy, disarmament and arms control are essential. The SPD has already taken significant steps under Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to align the international agenda on dismantling topics. Germany and the EU continue to work for nuclear disarmament, especially after the announcements of the Inf-Treaty by the USA and Russia.

The debate within the SPD about the manifesto on Russia policy reflects deeper, more complex topics that are of great importance in today's geopolitical landscape. The current dispute shows the difficulty of finding a uniform strategy that takes into account both the security interests of Germany and the need for diplomatic solutions.