Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has rejected calls for a full leadership overhaul of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) following a heavy defeat in the Rhineland-Palatinate state election, saying now is not the time for internal personnel debates.
The SPD — which had led coalitions in Rhineland-Palatinate for 35 years — was pushed from first place by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats in Sunday’s vote. Pistorius, speaking to the DPA news agency during a visit to Tokyo, described the result as “very poor” and said it did not reflect the campaign run by state premier Alexander Schweitzer. But he added that a personnel debate would be “irresponsible” given the global situation and the challenges Germany faces, and said he is not available to take on party leadership roles.
Pistorius, consistently ranked among the SPD’s most popular politicians, urged the party to focus on governing rather than internal wrangling. His comments follow calls from SPD lawmaker Doris Schröder-Köpf for a complete leadership shake-up; she suggested Saarland premier Anke Rehlinger and Pistorius for top roles, including replacing party figures such as Lars Klingbeil.
Sunday’s results were a double setback for the SPD: the Greens also defeated long-time SPD incumbent Dieter Reiter in the Munich mayoral race, signaling further losses for the party in traditional strongholds.
Other notable developments across Germany on March 23, 2026:
– German Federal Court ruling on climate lawsuits: The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe dismissed lawsuits by environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) seeking to bar BMW and Mercedes-Benz from selling new combustion-engine cars after November 2030. The court upheld lower-court decisions and rejected the argument that companies could be compelled by civil courts to take climate action beyond existing regulations. DUH said it may seek a review by the Constitutional Court.
– Lufthansa expansion plans: Lufthansa is considering a major investment to expand Terminal 2 at Munich Airport, potentially adding capacity for up to 10 million passengers a year. CEO Carsten Spohr is expected to outline more details during a ceremony marking the airline’s 100th anniversary.
– Indonesia deports German researcher: Indonesian authorities deported Vlad Alexandru Tataru from Central Sulawesi after alleging he conducted unauthorized research and collected endemic plant samples in Lore Lindu National Park without the required permits. He had entered on a visa on arrival, which does not allow research activities.
– Stranded whale in the Baltic Sea: A whale was found alive on a sandbank in the Bay of Lübeck near Niendorf. Authorities and wildlife experts are working to guide the animal back to open water and have sealed off the area, urging the public to keep away. Conservation group Sea Shepherd said it had recently freed the whale from fishing net debris and believes it to be a humpback.
DW’s Bonn newsroom is following these and other developments as the SPD assesses the electoral fallout and its next steps in government.