Overview
- Neukölln mayor and Berlin SPD co-chair Martin Hikel withdrew from seeking re-election after receiving about 68.5% at a local delegates' meeting, prompting the assembly to be halted.
- Designated Berlin lead candidate Steffen Krach said he expects strong backing at Saturday’s state party congress and emphasized a security-focused campaign including the fight against clan crime.
- Hikel’s approach to tackling organized family crime and Islamist radicalization drew internal accusations of racism, while other local partners praised his efforts to safeguard civic life.
- In Schleswig-Holstein, state chair Serpil Midyatli announced she will relinquish the post after losing a members' primary and proposed Kiel mayor Ulf Kämpfer as her successor.
- Kämpfer won the binding members' vote with 79.76% and said he is ready to assume the chair after a special state congress planned for February 2026 and to lead the party into the 2027 election.