SPD Vice Thomas Kutschaty on the SPD as the Chancellor’s party

Mr Kutschaty, the new SPD leadership is facing a great challenge. Even under a social democratic chancellor, the party must remain visible if old trench warfare is not to break out again. How is that supposed to work?
We do not give each other homework, but will be successful together. A chancellor’s party has to tackle different challenges than a party in the opposition. She needs a sixth sense for what’s to come now. The line-up makes me very optimistic. Saskia Esken, Lars Klingbeil and Kevin Kühnert made a conscious decision to create a new constellation. We are excited in the new board to develop our ideas for the country further.

What contribution do you want to make to ensure that the SPD’s profile remains visible?
I would like to bring in the country perspective. With the elections next year, we in NRW have the chance that after a long time the following applies again: federal and state – hand in hand. My personal concern is how we can keep renewing the promise of education. I was the first in the family to graduate from high school and study. This path is becoming less and less possible. We need a reversal without conflict. Because the many people who get along well without a high school diploma and keep our society going every day deserve more respect in the same way. We need education for more eye-level.

Kevin Kühnert has polarized so far. As Secretary General, does he manage to mediate in the party?
He is someone who shows a clear edge. A Juso chairman who wants to please everyone would have missed his task. This also applies to the Secretary General. But for him it’s always about the matter. The yardstick for him is what is possible. He proved that again in the coalition negotiations in the area of ​​housing. If he is not always welcomed by the political competition, it is also because they have no desire to deal with him on a factual level – precisely because he is a very good politician.

Do you see a need somewhere to readjust the content of the traffic light?
We approved the coalition agreement with almost 100 percent. I took part in the negotiations myself and am also very satisfied with what was agreed. A traffic light coalition agreement is of course not an SPD election program, but a compromise between three parties with all their differences. But the agreement on social progress as the basis of government work will bring our country forward. So we don’t have to readjust, we have to implement it. A minimum wage of 12 euros, basic child benefits, a boost for housing construction – that must and will come now.

You are NRW boss and top candidate for the state elections next spring. What strategy do you want to use to recapture North Rhine-Westphalia from the CDU?
We show what makes the difference. The Laschet / Wüst government praises itself for being silent. I wonder what kind of quality that should be if at the same time rents are skyrocketing, advancement through education and work in North Rhine-Westphalia are becoming more and more difficult and hospitals are to be closed for profit reasons during a pandemic. Anyone who just watches and shifts responsibility in a rapidly changing world ensures that people with small and medium-sized assets in particular have less and less in their pockets. We will therefore show that we are not silent, but that we now have to get started on these issues.

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