German Defence Minister Pistorius laments ‘catastrophic’ SPD result

Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has suffered a “devastating, catastrophic result” in parliamentary elections on Sunday, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said, after initial projections showed the party in third place on 16%.

“We have to be sober: This is a devastating, catastrophic result. There is nothing to gloss over,” said Pistorius. “There is nothing to gloss over.”

The SPD minister said conservative leader Friedrich Merz has a mandate to lead the next government.

Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance is leading on 29% of the vote according to initial results, ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on just under 20%.

Pistorius – who was seen as a candidate to lead the SPD if Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not seek re-election – said the party will negotiate with the CDU/CSU over a coalition.

“We have always been willing to talk, we are,” the defence minister said. “It’s about responsibility, but it’s not up to us to take any steps forward now.”