Social Democratic Party of Germany

"German Social Democratic Party" and "SPD" redirect here. For the defunct Polish party, see German Social Democratic Party (Poland). For the Czech party, see Freedom and Direct Democracy. For other uses, see SPD (disambiguation).

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, [zoˈtsi̯aːldemoˌkʁaːtɪʃə paʁˌtaɪ ˈdɔʏtʃlants], SPD, German pronunciation: [ɛspeːˈdeː] ^ⓘ) is a social democratic^[2][3][4] political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together with Lars Klingbeil, who joined her in December 2021. After Olaf Scholz was elected chancellor in 2021, the SPD became the leading party of the federal government, which the SPD formed with the Greens and the Free Democratic Party, after the 2021 federal election. The SPD is a member of 11 of the 16 German state governments and is a leading partner in seven of them.

Social Democratic Party of Germany Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
Abbreviation	SPD
General Secretary	Matthias Miersch
Co-leaders	Saskia Esken Lars Klingbeil
Deputy Leaders	See list Klara Geywitz Hubertus Heil Thomas Kutschaty Serpil Midyatli Anke Rehlinger
Founded	27 May 1875; 149 years ago (1875-05-27)
Merger of	ADAV SDAP
Headquarters	Willy-Brandt-Haus D-10911 Berlin
Newspaper	Vorwärts
Student wing	Juso-Hochschulgruppen
Youth wing	Young Socialists in the SPD
Women's wing	Association of Social Democratic Women
LGBT+ wing	SPDqueer
Paramilitary wing	Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold (1924–33)
Membership (2024)	365,190[1]
Ideology	Social democracy Pro-Europeanism
Political position	Centre-left
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
European Parliament group	Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
Colours	Red
Bundestag	207 / 736
State parliaments	453 / 1,894
European Parliament	14 / 96
Heads of State Governments	7 / 16
Party flag
Website
spd.de
Politics of Germany Political parties Elections

The SPD was founded in 1875 from a merger of smaller socialist parties, and grew rapidly after the lifting of Germany's repressive Anti-Socialist Laws in 1890 to become the largest socialist party in Western Europe until 1933. In 1891, it adopted its Marxist-influenced Erfurt Program, though in practice it was moderate and focused on building working-class organizations. In the 1912 federal election, the SPD won 34.8 percent of votes and became the largest party in the Reichstag, but was still excluded from government. After the start of the First World War in 1914, the party split between a pro-war mainstream and the anti-war Independent Social Democratic Party, some members of which later formed the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). The SPD played a leading role in the German revolution of 1918–1919 and in the foundation of the Weimar Republic. The SPD politician Friedrich Ebert served as the first president of Germany from 1919 to 1925.

After the rise of the Nazi Party to power, the SPD was the only party in the Reichstag which voted against the Enabling Act of 1933; the SPD was subsequently banned, and operated in exile as the Sopade. After the Second World War from 1939 to 1945, the SPD was re-established. In East Germany, it merged with the KPD under duress to form the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. In West Germany, the SPD became one of two major parties alongside the CDU/CSU. In its Godesberg Program of 1959, the SPD dropped its commitment to Marxism, becoming a big tent party of the centre-left. The SPD led the federal government from 1969 to 1982 (under Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt), 1998 to 2005 (under Gerhard Schröder) and again since 2021. It served as a junior partner to a CDU/CSU-led government from 1966 to 1969, 2005 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2021. During Scholz's chancellorship, the party has set out principles of a new German defence policy in the Zeitenwende speech.^[5]

The SPD holds pro-European stances and is a member of the Party of European Socialists and sits with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament.^[6][7] With 14 MEPs, it is the third largest party in the group. The SPD was a founding member of the Socialist International, but the party left in 2013 after criticising its acceptance of parties they consider to be violating human rights.^[8] The SPD subsequently founded the Progressive Alliance^[9][10][11] and was joined by numerous other parties around the world. Previously, the SPD was a founding member of both the Second International and the Labour and Socialist International.

History

Main article: History of the Social Democratic Party of Germany

The Social Democratic Party has its origins in the General German Workers' Association, founded in 1863, and the Social Democratic Workers' Party, founded in 1869. The two groups merged in 1875 to create the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany [de] (German: Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei Deutschlands). From 1878 to 1890, the Anti-Socialist Laws banned any group that aimed at spreading socialist principles, but the party still gained support in elections. In 1890, when the ban was lifted, the party adopted its current name. The SPD was the largest Marxist party in Europe and consistently the most popular party in German federal elections from 1890 onward, although it was surpassed by other parties in terms of seats won in the Reichstag due to the electoral system.^[12]

SPD members in Reichstag 1889. Sitting from left to right: Georg Schumacher, Friedrich Harm, August Bebel, Heinrich Meister and Karl Frohme. Standing: Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Dietz, August Kühn, Wilhelm Liebknecht, Karl Grillenberger, and Paul Singer.

In the years leading up to World War I, the SPD remained radical in principle, but moderate in reality. According to Roger Eatwell and Anthony Wright, the SPD became a party of reform, with social democracy representing "a party that strives after the socialist transformation of society by the means of democratic and economic reforms". They emphasise this development as central to understanding 20th-century social democracy, of which the SPD was a major influence.^[13] In the 1912 federal election, the SPD won 34.8 per cent of votes and became the largest party in the Reichstag with 110 seats, although it was still excluded from government.^[14] Despite the Second International's agreement to oppose militarism,^[15] the SPD supported the German war effort and adopted a policy, known as Burgfriedenspolitik, of refraining from calling strikes or criticising the government.^[16][17] Internal opposition to the policy grew throughout the war. Anti-war members were expelled in 1916 and 1917, leading to the formation of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD).^[18]

The SPD played a key role in the German Revolution of 1918–1919. On 9 November 1918, leading SPD member Friedrich Ebert was designated chancellor and fellow Social Democrat Philipp Scheidemann, on his own authority, proclaimed Germany a republic.^[19] The government introduced a large number of reforms in the following months, introducing various civil liberties and labor rights.^[20] The SPD government, committed to parliamentary liberal democracy, used military force against more radical communist groups, leading to a permanent split between the SPD and the USPD, as well as the Spartacist League which would go on to form the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and integrate a majority of USPD members as well.^[21][22] The SPD was the largest party during the first 13 years of the new Weimar Republic. It decisively won the 1919 federal election with 37.9 per cent of votes, and Ebert became the first president in February.^[23] The position of chancellor was held by Social Democrats until the 1920 federal election, when the SPD lost a substantial portion of its support, falling to 22 per cent of votes. After this, the SPD yielded the chancellery to other parties, although it remained part of the government until 1924. Ebert died in 1925 and was succeeded by conservative Paul von Hindenburg. After making gains in the 1928 federal election, the SPD's Hermann Müller became chancellor.^[24]

A widely publicized SPD election poster from 1932, with the Three Arrows symbol representing resistance against reactionary conservatism, Nazism and Communism, and with the slogan "Against Papen, Hitler, Thälmann"

As Germany was struck hard by the Great Depression, and unable to negotiate an effective response to the crisis, Müller resigned in 1930. The SPD was sidelined as the Nazi Party gained popularity and conservatives dominated the government, assisted by Hindenburg's frequent use of emergency powers. The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, the SPD's paramilitary wing, was frequently involved in violent confrontations with the Nazi Sturmabteilung.^[25] The Nazis overtook the SPD as the largest party in July 1932 and Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor in January 1933. Of the parties present in the Reichstag during the passage of the Enabling Act of 1933, the SPD was the only one to vote against; most of the communist deputies had been arrested ahead of the vote.^[26] The SPD was banned in June. Many members were subsequently imprisoned and killed by the Nazi government while others fled the country. The party-in-exile was called Sopade.^[27] After the end of World War II, the re-establishment of the SPD was permitted in the Western occupation zones in 1945. In the Soviet occupation zone, the SPD was forcibly merged with the KPD in 1946 to form the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). The SED was the ruling party of East Germany until 1989.^[28] In West Germany, the SPD became one of two major parties, alongside the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In the inaugural 1949 federal election, it placed second with 29.2 per cent of votes and led the opposition to the CDU government.^[29] In its 1959 Godesberg Program, the party dropped its commitment to Marxism and sought to appeal to middle class voters, becoming a big tent party of the centre-left.^[30]

SPD membership statistics (in thousands) since 1945. Despite heavy losses since 1990, the SPD is still the largest party in Germany, ahead of the CDU.

Although strongly leftist, the SPD was willing to compromise. Only through its support did the governing CDU/CSU pass a denazification law that its coalition partner the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the far-right German Party voted against.^[31] At the same time, the SPD opposed the pro-West integration of West Germany because they believed that made a re-unification of Germany impossible. Austria could have become a sovereign neutral state in 1956, but a 1952 Soviet suggestion for Germans to form a neutral state was ignored by the CDU/CSU–FDP government. After 17 years in opposition, the SPD became the junior partner in a grand coalition with the CDU/CSU which lasted from 1966 to 1969. After the 1969 federal election, the SPD's Willy Brandt became chancellor in a coalition with the liberal Free Democratic Party. His government sought to normalise relations with East Germany and the Eastern Bloc, a policy known as Ostpolitik.^[32] The party achieved its best ever result of 45.8 per cent in 1972, one of only three occasions in which it formed the largest Bundestag faction.^[33] After Brandt's resignation in 1974, his successor Helmut Schmidt served as chancellor until 1982, when the SPD returned to opposition.^[34]

During the Peaceful Revolution in East Germany, the East German SPD was refounded. It merged with the West German party in 1990, shortly before German reunification.^[35] The SPD returned to government under Gerhard Schröder after the 1998 federal election in a coalition with The Greens.^[36] This government was re-elected in 2002 but defeated in 2005.^[37] The SPD then became junior partner of a grand coalition with the CDU/CSU until 2009. After a term in opposition, they again served as junior partner to the CDU/CSU after the 2013 federal election.^[38] This arrangement was renewed after the 2017 federal election.^[39] SPD narrowly won against the CDU/CSU in the September 2021 federal election, becoming the biggest party in the federal parliament (Bundestag).^[40] Social Democrat Olaf Scholz became the new chancellor in December 2021, and formed a coalition government with the Green Party and the Free Democrats.^[41]

Ideology and platform

Sigmar Gabriel, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (2013–2018) and former chairman of the SPD

The SPD was established as a Marxist party in 1875. It underwent a major shift in policies, reflected in the differences between the Heidelberg Program of 1925 which called for "the transformation of the capitalist system of private ownership of the means of production to social ownership"^[42] and the Godesberg Program of 1959 which aimed to broaden the party's voter base and to move its political position toward the political centre.^[43] After World War II, the SPD was re-formed in West Germany after being banned by the Nazi regime; in East Germany, it merged with the Communist Party of Germany to form the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany. Under the chairmanship of Kurt Schumacher, the SPD was a socialist party representing the interests of the working class and of trade unions. With the 1959 Godesberg Program, the party evolved from a socialist working-class party to a modern social-democratic party working within democratic capitalism. The SPD's Hamburg Programme, adopted in 2007, describes democratic socialism as "the vision of a free and fair society in solidarity", which requires "a structure in economy, state and society guaranteeing civil, political, social and economic basic rights for all people living a life without exploitation, suppression and violence, hence in social and human security", the realization of which is emphasized as a "permanent task". Social democracy serves as the "principle of our actions".^[44]

The party platform of the SPD espouses the goal of democratic socialism, which it envisions as a societal arrangement in which freedom and social justice are paramount. According to the party platform, political freedom, justice and social solidarity form the basis of social democracy.

• The coordinated social market economy should be strengthened and its output should be distributed fairly. The party sees that economic system as necessary in order to ensure the affluence of the entire population.
• The SPD also supports a welfare state.
• Concurrently, it supports rather austere fiscal policy, being against state run deficits and for reducing debt.
• In social policy, the Social Democrats stand for civil and political rights in an open society.
• In foreign policy, the party aims at ensuring global peace by balancing global interests with democratic means; European integration is a main priority. During Scholz's chancellorship, the party has set out principles of a new German defence policy in the Zeitenwende speech.^[5] During the Israel–Hamas war, it authorized substantial German military and medical aid to Israel, denouncing the actions of Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.^{[45][46][47][48]}
• The SPD supports economic regulations to limit potential losses for banks and people. They support a common European economic and financial policy to prevent speculative bubbles as well as to foster environmentally sustainable growth.^[49]

Internal factions

The SPD is mostly composed of members belonging to either of the two main wings, namely the Keynesian social democrats and Third Way moderate social democrats belonging to the Seeheimer Kreis. While the more moderate Seeheimer Kreis generally support the Agenda 2010 programs introduced by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, the classical social democrats continue to defend classical left-wing policies and the welfare state. The Keynesian left-wing of the SPD claims that in recent years the welfare state has been curtailed through reform programs such as the Agenda 2010, Hartz IV, and the more economic liberal stance of the SPD which were endorsed by centrist social democrats.^[50][51] In reaction to Agenda 2010, an inner-party dissident movement developed, leading to the foundation of the new party Labour and Social Justice – The Electoral Alternative (Arbeit & soziale Gerechtigkeit – Die Wahlalternative, WASG) in 2005, which later merged into The Left (Die Linke) in 2007.^[52] The Parlamentarische Linke comprises left-wing SPD Members of the German Bundestag.

Electorate

Social structure

Prior to World War II, as the main non-revolutionary left-wing party, the Social Democrats fared best among non-Catholic workers as well as intellectuals favouring social progressive causes and increased economic equality. Led by Kurt Schumacher after World War II, the SPD initially opposed both the social market economy and Konrad Adenauer's drive towards Western integration fiercely; after Schumacher's death, however, it accepted the social market economy and Germany's position in the Western alliance in order to appeal to a broader range of voters. It still remains associated with the economic causes of unionised employees and working class voters. In the 1990s, the left and moderate wings of the party drifted apart, culminating in a secession of a significant number of party members which later joined the socialist party WASG, which later merged into The Left (Die Linke).

Geographic distribution

2021 federal election SPD results

Much of the SPD's current-day support comes from large cities, especially northern and western Germany and Berlin. As of 2019, 10 of the country's 15 biggest cities are led by SPD mayors. The metropolitan Ruhr Area, where coal mining and steel production were once the main industries, have provided a significant base for the SPD in the 20th century. In the city of Bremen, the SPD has continuously governed since 1949.

In southern Germany, the SPD typically garners less support except in the largest cities. At the 2009 federal election, the party lost its only constituency in the entire state of Bavaria (in Munich).

Small town and rural support comes especially from the traditionally Protestant areas of northern Germany and Brandenburg (with previous exceptions such as Western Pomerania where CDU leader Angela Merkel held her constituency, which the SPD gained in 2021) and a number of university towns. A striking example of the general pattern is the traditionally Catholic Emsland, where the Social Democrats generally gain a low percentage of votes, whereas the Reformed Protestant region of East Frisia directly to the north, with its strong traditional streak of anti-Catholicism, is one of their strongest constituencies.

Further south, the SPD also enjoys solid support in northern Hesse, parts of Palatinate and the Saarland. The social democrats are weakest in the south-eastern states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia, where the party's percentage of votes dropped to single-digit figures in the 2018 and 2019 elections. In 2021, it significantly increased its vote share in the states of the former east.

Post-war leadership

See also: Leader of the Social Democratic Party

The federal leader is supported by six Deputy Leaders and the party executive. As of 2021, the leaders are Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans. The previous leader was Andrea Nahles, who announced her pending resignation on 2 June 2019. As Germany is a federal republic, each of Germany's states have their own SPD party at the state level.

Party leaders Leader Year 1 Kurt Schumacher 1946–1952 2 Erich Ollenhauer 1952–1963 3 Willy Brandt 1964–1987 4 Hans-Jochen Vogel 1987–1991 5 Björn Engholm 1991–1993 6 Rudolf Scharping 1993–1995 7 Oskar Lafontaine 1995–1999 8 Gerhard Schröder 1999–2004 9 Franz Müntefering (1st term) 2004–2005 10 Matthias Platzeck 2005–2006 11 Kurt Beck 2006–2008 12 (9) Franz Müntefering (2nd term) 2008–2009 13 Sigmar Gabriel 2009–2017 14 Martin Schulz 2017–2018 15 Andrea Nahles 2018–2019 16 Saskia Esken & Norbert Walter-Borjans 2019–2021 17 Saskia Esken & Lars Klingbeil 2021–present

Leaders in the Bundestag From August until October 2010, senior Bundestag member Joachim Poß served as interim Bundestag leader in the absence of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was recovering from donating a kidney to his wife. Leader Year 1 Kurt Schumacher 1949–1952 2 Erich Ollenhauer 1952–1963 3 Fritz Erler 1964–1967 4 Helmut Schmidt 1967–1969 5 Herbert Wehner 1969–1983 6 Hans-Jochen Vogel 1983–1991 7 Hans-Ulrich Klose 1991–1994 8 Rudolf Scharping 1994–1998 9 Peter Struck (1st term) 1998–2002 10 Ludwig Stiegler 2002 11 Franz Müntefering 2002–2005 (9) Peter Struck (2nd term) 2005–2009 12 Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2009–2013 13 Thomas Oppermann 2013–2017 14 Andrea Nahles 2017–2019 15 Rolf Mützenich 2019–present

Federal presidents Gustav Heinemann 1969–1974 Johannes Rau 1999–2004 Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2017–present Federal chancellors Chancellor of Germany Time in office Willy Brandt 1969–1974 Helmut Schmidt 1974–1982 Gerhard Schröder 1998–2005 Olaf Scholz 2021–present

Vice chancellors Vice Chancellor of Germany Time in office Willy Brandt 1966–1969 Egon Franke 1982 Franz Müntefering 2005–2007 Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2007–2009 Sigmar Gabriel 2013–2018 Olaf Scholz 2018–2021

State-level

State	Leader	Seats	Government
Baden-Württemberg	Andreas Stoch	19 / 143	Opposition
Bavaria	Natascha Kohnen	17 / 203	Opposition
Berlin	Franziska Giffey & Raed Saleh	38 / 160	CDU–SPD
Brandenburg	Dietmar Woidke	25 / 88	SPD–CDU–Greens
Bremen	Sascha Karolin Aulepp	30 / 83	SPD–Greens–Left
Hamburg	Melanie Leonhard	51 / 121	SPD–Greens
Hesse	Nancy Faeser	23 / 133	CDU–SPD
Lower Saxony	Stephan Weil	55 / 137	SPD–Greens
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern	Manuela Schwesig	34 / 71	SPD–Left
North Rhine-Westphalia	Thomas Kutschaty	56 / 195	Opposition
Rhineland-Palatinate	Roger Lewentz	39 / 101	SPD–Greens–FDP
Saarland	Anke Rehlinger	29 / 51	Majority
Saxony	Martin Dulig	18 / 126	CDU–Greens–SPD
Saxony-Anhalt	Juliane Kleemann [de] & Andreas Schmidt [de]	11 / 87	CDU–SPD–FDP
Schleswig-Holstein	Serpil Midyatli	21 / 73	Opposition
Thuringia	Georg Maier	13 / 91	Left–SPD–Greens

Election results

Election results and governments since 1949

The SPD, at times called SAPD, took part in general elections determining the composition of parliament. For elections up until 1933, the parliament was called the Reichstag, except for the one of 1919 which was called the National Assembly and since 1949 the parliament is called Bundestag. Note that changes in borders (1871, 1919, 1920, 1949, 1957 and 1990) varied the number of eligible voters whereas electoral laws also changed the ballot system (only constituencies until 1912, only party lists until 1949 and a mixed system thereafter), the suffrage (women vote since 1919; minimum active voting age was 25 till 1918, 20 till 1946, 21 till 1972 and 18 since), the number of seats (fixed or flexible) and the length of the legislative period (three or four years). The list begins after the SPD was formed in 1875, when labour parties unified to form the SPD (then SAPD, current name since 1890).

Imperial Germany (Reichstag)

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Status
1877	493,447	9.1 (#4)	13 / 397		Opposition
1878	437,158	7.6 (#5)	9 / 397	4	Opposition
1881	311,961	6.1 (#7)	13 / 397	4	Opposition
1884	549,990	9.7 (#5)	24 / 397	11	Opposition
1887	763,102	10.1 (#5)	11 / 397	13	Opposition
1890	1,427,323	19.7 (#1)	35 / 397	24	Opposition
1893	1,786,738	23.3 (#1)	44 / 397	9	Opposition
1898	2,107,076	27.2 (#1)	56 / 397	12	Opposition
1903	3,010,771	31.7 (#1)	81 / 397	25	Opposition
1907	3,259,029	28.9 (#1)	43 / 397	38	Opposition
1912	4,250,399	34.8 (#1)	110 / 397	67	Opposition (1912–1918)
					Coalition (1918)

Weimar Republic (Reichstag)

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Status
1919	11,516,852	37.9 (#1)	165 / 423	55	Coalition
1920	6,179,991	21.9 (#1)	103 / 459	62	External support (1920–1921)
					Coalition (1921–1922)
					External support (1922–1923)
					Coalition (1923)
					Opposition (1923–1924)
May 1924	6,008,905	20.5 (#1)	100 / 472	3	Opposition
Dec 1924	7,881,041	26.0 (#1)	131 / 493	31	Opposition (1924–1926)
					External support (1926–1927)
					Opposition (1927–1928)
1928	9,152,979	29.8 (#1)	153 / 491	22	Coalition
1930	8,575,244	24.5 (#1)	143 / 577	10	Opposition
Jul 1932	7,959,712	21.6 (#2)	133 / 608	10	Opposition
Nov 1932	7,247,901	20.4 (#2)	121 / 584	12	Opposition
Mar 1933	7,181,629	18.3 (#2)	120 / 667	1	Opposition
Nov 1933	Banned. The Nazi Party was the sole legal party.
1936	Banned. The Nazi Party was the sole legal party.
1938	Banned. The Nazi Party was the sole legal party.

Federal parliament (Bundestag)

Election	Candidate	Constituency		Party list		Seats	+/–	Status
		Votes	%	Votes	%
1949	Kurt Schumacher			6,934,975	29.2 (#2)	131 / 402		Opposition
1953	Erich Ollenhauer	8,131,257	29.5 (#2)	7,944,943	28.8 (#2)	162 / 509	22	Opposition
1957		11,975,400	32.0 (#2)	9,495,571	31.8 (#2)	181 / 519	19	Opposition
1961	Willy Brandt	11,672,057	36.5 (#1)	11,427,355	36.2 (#1)	203 / 521	22	Opposition
1965		12,998,474	40.1 (#1)	12,813,186	39.3 (#1)	217 / 518	14	Opposition (1965–1966)
								CDU/CSU–SPD (1966–1969)
1969		14,402,374	44.0 (#1)	14,065,716	42.7 (#1)	237 / 518	20	SPD–FDP
1972		18,228,239	48.9 (#1)	17,175,169	45.8 (#1)	242 / 518	5	SPD–FDP
1976	Helmut Schmidt	16,471,321	43.7 (#1)	16,099,019	42.6 (#1)	224 / 518	18	SPD–FDP
1980		16,808,861	44.5 (#1)	16,260,677	42.9 (#1)	228 / 519	4	SPD–FDP (1980–1982)
								Opposition (1982–1983)
1983	Hans-Jochen Vogel	15,686,033	40.4 (#2)	14,865,807	38.2 (#1)	202 / 520	26	Opposition
1987	Johannes Rau	14,787,953	39.2 (#1)	14,025,763	37.0 (#1)	193 / 519	9	Opposition
1990	Oskar Lafontaine	16,279,980	35.2 (#2)	15,545,366	33.5 (#2)	239 / 662	46	Opposition
1994	Rudolf Scharping	17,966,813	38.3 (#1)	17,140,354	36.4 (#1)	252 / 672	13	Opposition
1998	Gerhard Schröder	21,535,893	43.8 (#1)	20,181,269	40.9 (#1)	298 / 669	43	SPD–Greens
2002		20,059,967	41.9 (#1)	18,484,560	38.5 (#1)	251 / 603	47	SPD–Greens
2005		18,129,100	38.4 (#1)	16,194,665	34.2 (#1)	222 / 614	29	CDU/CSU–SPD
2009	Frank-Walter Steinmeier	12,077,437	27.9 (#2)	9,988,843	23.0 (#2)	146 / 622	76	Opposition
2013	Peer Steinbrück	12,835,933	29.4 (#2)	11,247,283	25.7 (#2)	193 / 630	42	CDU/CSU–SPD
2017	Martin Schulz	11,426,613	24.6 (#2)	9,538,367	20.5 (#2)	153 / 709	40	CDU/CSU–SPD
2021	Olaf Scholz	12,227,998	26.4 (#1)	11,949,374	25.7 (#1)	206 / 736	53	SPD–Greens–FDP (2021–2024)
								SPD–Greens (2024–present)

• 
  Constituency results, 1912
• 
  Constituency results, 1919
• 
  Constituency results, 1928
• 
  Constituency results, 1953
• 
  Constituency results, 1972
• 
  Constituency results, 1990
• 
  Constituency results, 1998
• 
  Constituency results, 2021

European Parliament

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	EP Group
1979	11,370,045	40.83 (#1)	33 / 81	New	SOC
1984	9,296,417	37.41 (#2)	32 / 81	1
1989	10,525,728	37.32 (#1)	30 / 81	2
1994	11,389,697	32.16 (#1)	40 / 99	10	PES
1999	8,307,085	30.70 (#2)	33 / 99	7
2004	5,547,971	21.52 (#2)	23 / 99	10
2009	5,472,566	20.78 (#2)	23 / 99	0	S&D
2014	7,999,955	27.26 (#2)	27 / 96	4
2019	5,914,953	15.82 (#3)	16 / 96	11
2024	5,548,528	13.94 (#3)	14 / 96	2

State parliaments (Länder)

State parliament	Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Status
Baden-Württemberg	2021	535,462	11.0 (#3)	19 / 154	0	Opposition Leader
Bavaria	2023	1,140,585	8.4 (#5)	17 / 203	5	Opposition
Berlin [a]	2023	278,978	18.4 (#2)	34 / 147	2	CDU–SPD
Brandenburg [b]	2024	463,678	30.89 (#1)	32 / 88	7	TBD
Bremen	2023	376,610	29.8 (#1)	27 / 84	4	SPD–Greens–Left
Hamburg	2020	1,554,760	39.0 (#1)	54 / 123	4	SPD–Greens
Hesse	2023	424,487	15.1 (#3)	23 / 133	6	CDU–SPD
Lower Saxony	2022	1,211,418	33.4 (#1)	57 / 146	2	SPD–Greens
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern [c]	2021	361,761	39.6 (#1)	34 / 79	8	SPD–Left
North Rhine-Westphalia	2022	1,905,002	26.7 (#2)	56 / 195	13	Opposition Leader
Rhineland-Palatinate	2021	691,055	35.7 (#1)	39 / 101	0	SPD–Greens–FDP
Saarland	2022	196,799	43.5 (#1)	29 / 51	12	SPD majority
Saxony [d]	2024	172,002	7.3 (#4)	10 / 119	0	TBD
Saxony-Anhalt [e]	2021	89,475	8.4 (#4)	9 / 97	2	CDU–SPD–FDP
Schleswig-Holstein	2022	221,536	16.0 (#3)	12 / 69	9	Opposition Leader
Thuringia [f]	2024	73,088	6.1 (#5)	6 / 90	2	TBD

Best historic results for state parties

State	Seats / Total	%	Position/Gov.	Year	Lead Candidate
Baden-Württemberg	46 / 146	29.4 (#2)	CDU–SPD	1992	Dieter Spöri (Deputy Minister-President 1992–1996)
Bavaria	61 / 204	28.1 (#2)	SPD–BP–GB/BHE–FDP	1954	Wilhelm Hoegner (Minister-President 1954–1957)
Berlin	89 / 140	61.9 (#1)	SPD–FDP	1963	Willy Brandt (Governing Mayor 1957–1966)
Brandenburg	52 / 88	54.1 (#1)	SPD majority	1994	Manfred Stolpe (Minister-President 1990–2002)
Bremen	59 / 100	55.3 (#1)	SPD majority	1971	Hans Koschnick (President of the Senate and Mayor 1967–1985)
Hamburg	74 / 120	59.0 (#1)	SPD majority	1966	Herbert Weichmann (First Mayor 1965–1971)
Hesse	52 / 96	51.0 (#1)	SPD majority	1966	Georg-August Zinn (Minister-President 1950–1969)
Lower Saxony	83 / 157	47.9 (#1)	SPD majority	1998	Gerhard Schröder (Minister-President 1990–1998)
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern	34 / 79	39.6 (#1)	SPD–Left	2021	Manuela Schwesig (Minister-President 2017–)
North Rhine-Westphalia	125 / 227	52.1 (#1)	SPD majority	1985	Johannes Rau (Minister-President 1978–1998)
Rhineland-Palatinate	53 / 101	45.6 (#1)	SPD majority	2006	Kurt Beck (Minister-President 1994–2013)
Saarland	30 / 51	54.4 (#1)	SPD majority	1990	Oskar Lafontaine (Minister-President 1985–1998)
Saxony	18 / 126	12.4 (#3)	CDU–SPD	2014	Martin Dulig (Deputy Minister-President 2014–2019)
Saxony-Anhalt	47 / 116	35.9 (#1)	SPD minority with PDS confidence and supply	1998	Reinhard Höppner (Minister-President 1994–2002)
Schleswig-Holstein	46 / 74	54.7 (#1)	SPD majority	1988	Björn Engholm (Minister-President 1988–1993)
Thuringia	29 / 88	29.6 (#2)	CDU–SPD	1994	Gerd Schuchardt (Deputy Minister-President 1994–1999)

Results timeline

Year	DE	EU		BW			BY	BE	BB	HB	HH	HE	NI	MV	NW	RP	SL	SN	ST	SH	TH
				SB	WB	WH
1946	N/A	N/A			31.9		28.6	48.7	[g]	47.6	43.1	42.7		[g]				[g]	[g]		[g]
1947				22.4		20.8				41.7			43.4		32.0	34.3	32.8			43.8
1948								64.5
1949	29.2										42.8
1950					33.0		28.0	44.7	N/A			44.4		N/A	32.3			N/A	N/A	27.5	N/A
1951										39.1			33.7			34.0
1952				28.0													32.4
1953	28.8										45.2
1954							28.1	44.6				42.6			34.5					33.2
1955										47.8			35.2			31.7	20.1
1956				28.9
1957	31.8										53.9
1958							30.8	52.6				46.9			39.2					35.9
1959										54.9			39.5			34.9
1960				35.3													30.0
1961	36.2										57.4
1962							35.3					50.8			43.3					39.2
1963								61.9		54.7			44.9			40.7
1964				37.3
1965	39.3																40.7
1966							35.8				59.0	51.0			49.5
1967								56.9		46.0			43.1			36.8				39.4
1968				29.0
1969	42.7
1970							33.3				55.3	45.9	46.3		46.1		40.8
1971								50.4		55.3						40.5				41.0
1972	45.8			37.6
1973
1974							30.2				45.0	43.2	43.1
1975								42.6		48.8					45.1	38.5	41.8			40.1
1976	42.6			33.3
1977
1978							31.4				51.5	44.3	42.2
1979		40.8						42.7		48.8						42.3				41.7
1980	42.9			32.5											48.4		45.4
1981								38.3
1982							31.9				42.7	42.8	36.5
											51.3
1983	38.2									51.3		46.2				39.6				43.7
1984		37.4		32.4
1985								32.4							52.1		49.2
1986							27.5				41.7		42.1
1987	37.0									50.5	45.0	40.2				38.8				45.2
1988				32.0																54.8
1989		37.3						37.3
1990	33.5						26.0	30.4	38.2				44.2	27.0	50.0		54.4	19.1	26.0		22.8
1991										38.8	48.0	40.8				44.8
1992				29.4																46.2
1993											40.4
1994	36.4	32.2					30.0		54.1				44.3	29.5			49.4	16.6	34.0		29.6
1995								23.6		33.4		38.0			46.0
1996				25.1												39.8				39.8
1997											36.2
1998	40.9						28.7						47.9	34.3					35.9
1999		30.7						22.4	39.3	42.6		39.4					44.4	10.7			18.5
2000															42.8					43.1
2001				33.3							36.5					44.8
								29.7
2002	38.5													40.6					20.0
2003							19.6			42.3		29.1	33.4
2004		21.5							31.9		30.5						30.8	9.8			14.5
2005	34.2														37.1					38.7
2006				25.2				30.8						30.2		45.6			21.4
2007										36.7
2008			18.6							34.1	36.7	30.3
2009	23.0	20.8							33.0		23.7		24.5				10.4	25.4		18.5
2010															34.5
2011				23.1			28.3	38.6		48.4				35.6		35.7			21.5
2012														39.1		30.6			30.4
2013	25.7		20.6								30.7	32.6
2014		27.3							31.9								12.4			12.4
2015									32.8	45.6
2016				12.7			21.6						30.6		36.2			10.6
2017	20.5											36.9		31.2		29.6			27.3
2018			9.7								19.8
2019		15.8						26.2	24.9								7.7			8.2
2020										39.2
2021	25.7			11.0			21.4						39.6		35.7			8.4
2022												33.4		26.7		43.5			16.0
2023			8.4				18.4		29.8		15.1
2024		13.9						TBD									TBD			TBD
Year	DE	EU		BW			BY	BE	BB	HB	HH	HE	NI	MV	NW	RP	SL	SN	ST	SH	TH
Bold indicates best result to date.   Present in legislature (in opposition)   Junior coalition partner   Senior coalition partner

See also

• Germany portal
• Socialism portal

• Bundestag (Federal Assembly of Germany)
• Elections in the Free State of Prussia
• Iron Front
• List of political parties in Germany
• Mierscheid Law
• Party finance in Germany
• Politics of Germany
• Weimar Republic

Notes

1. (formerly part of East Germany)
2. (formerly part of East Germany)
3. (formerly part of East Germany)
4. (formerly part of East Germany)
5. (formerly part of East Germany)
6. (formerly part of East Germany)
7. The eastern sections of the SPD were forcibly merged into the SED prior to the 1946 elections in the eastern zone.

References

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8. "SPD will Sozialistischer Internationale den Geldhahn zudrehen und den Mitgliedsbeitrag nicht zahlen". Der Spiegel (in German). 22 January 2012. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
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12. Christopher R. Browning, The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy, September 1939 – March 1942 (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press and Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, 2004), p. 7.
13. Eatwell, Roger; Wright, Anthony (1999). Contemporary Political Ideologies (2nd ed.). London: Continuum. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-85567-605-3.
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15. In, for example, the International Socialist Congress, Stuttgart 1907.
16. V. R. Berghahn, Germany and the Approach of War in 1914 (1974) pp. 178–85
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20. The Social Democratic Party of Germany 1848–2005 by Heinrich Potthoff and Susanne Miller
21. Heiden, Konrad (1944). Der Fuehrer: Hitler's Rise to Power. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 23–24.
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28. Entscheidung für die SED 1946 – ein Verrat an sozialdemokratischen Idealen?, in: Jahrbuch für Forschungen zur Geschichte der Arbeiterbewegung, No. I/2004.
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Further reading

• Orlow, Dietrich. Common Destiny: A Comparative History of the Dutch, French, and German Social Democratic Parties, 1945–1969 (2000) online.
• Carl E. Schorske, German Social Democracy, 1905–1917: The Development of the Great Schism (Harvard University Press, 1955).
• Vernon L. Lidtke, The Outlawed Party: Social Democracy in Germany, 1878–1890 (Princeton University Press, 1966).
• Berlau, Abraham. German Social Democratic Party, 1914–1921 (Columbia University Press, 1949).
• Maxwell, John Allen. "Social Democracy in a Divided Germany: Kurt Schumacher and the German Question, 1945–1952." Ph.D. dissertation, West Virginia University, Department of History, Morgantown, West Virginia, 1969.
• McAdams, A. James. "Germany Divided: From the Wall to Reunification." Princeton University Press, 1992 and 1993.
• Erich Matthias, The Downfall of the Old Social Democratic Party in 1933 pp. 51–105 from Republic to Reich The Making of the Nazi Revolution Ten Essays edited by Hajo Holborn, (New York: Pantheon Books, 1972).
• Eric D. Weitz, Creating German Communism, 1890–1990: From Popular Protests to Socialist State. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997.
• David Priestand, Red Flag: A History of Communism", New York: Grove Press, 2009.
• Carlton J. H. Hayes. (1917). The History of German Socialism Reconsidered. The American Historical Review, 23(1), 62–101. .

External links

• Official website (in German)
• History of the German social-democratic party (archived 4 October 2010)