“Very happy and grateful”
Manuela Schwesig celebrates her 50th with Steinmeier
May 23, 2024, 7:20 a.m
City councilor, federal minister, party deputy, prime minister: Manuela Schwesig has achieved a lot in almost two decades in politics. But recently his career and popularity stalled. It is true that it is firmly in the saddle in the northeast, as political expert Muno states. But she had to bury her federal political ambitions.
Manuela Schwesig has two reasons to celebrate. Today is her 50th birthday and on the same day the Basic Law turns 75. “The Federal President is inviting people to the state ceremony, which I will attend as President of the Federal Council. In the evening I will have a nice barbecue with my husband and our children,” reports Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s head of government. The big private birthday party with family, friends and companions will take place the following week.
The soon-to-be-completed half century is an occasion for the Brandenburg-born woman, who moved to Schwerin in 2000 and still lives there with her husband and two children, to take a moment to pause. “I am very happy and grateful for my life. I have a great family and a wonderful job as Prime Minister of our beautiful state. My cancer has shown me that none of this can be taken for granted,” she explained. In 2019 she made her illness public, which she says she has now overcome.
For a long time, the Prime Minister only went in one direction: upwards. At the age of 30 she became a member of the Schwerin city council, at 34 she became social minister in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a year later she became SPD federal deputy, at 39 she became federal family minister and at 43 she finally became prime minister. The balance sheet of her 20 years of political work includes, among other things, improvements in the quota for women, the free daycare in MV and the adherence to collective bargaining agreements in the awarding of public contracts in the state – which has been criticized by business.
Nord Stream 2 Foundation recognized as a mistake
In the meantime, Schwesig also had to realize that from a place in the sun you can quickly end up in shady areas. Her popularity ratings, which were unprecedentedly high until she won the 2021 state elections, have dropped drastically and the former SPD model woman appears much less frequently in federal politics. She had already withdrawn from the top of the federal party in 2019 because of cancer.
The Rostock political scientist Wolfgang Muno has identified two main reasons for Schwesig’s recent decline in popularity. “The short succession of crises almost only allowed it to react; the government made up of the SPD and the Left was hardly able to set its own accents. If you have to point to an additional public holiday and the rainbow flag in the balance sheet at the halfway point of the electoral period, that says a lot “. The current general dissatisfaction with politics is doing the rest.
Finally, her reputation nationwide fell massively at the beginning of 2022, when her previously vehement advocacy for the completion of the Russian-German natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 came under criticism after Russian troops invaded Ukraine. “At that point at the latest, she probably had to put her federal political ambitions aside,” said Muno.
Immediately after the start of the Russian war of aggression, she herself described it as a mistake to have founded a state foundation with the help of which the controversial gas pipeline was completed. But even against their will, the foundation continues to exist and repeatedly gives the opposition the opportunity to ask unpleasant questions and bring them closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Schwesig firmly rejects the accusations of having become Putin’s henchman.
Strong economic growth achieved
In discussions with citizens, she learned that the foundation hardly played a role for the people in the state and that they expected the current problems to be solved. “We are currently living in turbulent times. My most important task is to keep our country together and to continue to advance it economically, socially and ecologically.” The state’s economy grew above average in 2023. However, her government – unlike Saxony-Anhalt or Brandenburg – did not succeed in attracting large industrial settlements to the northeast.
For Schwesig, who not only took over the office of head of government in 2017 from her predecessor Erwin Sellering, who was seriously ill at the time, but also the chairmanship of the state SPD, the upcoming local elections represent the next test. In surveys, the party is well behind its top result the 2021 state election fell by almost 40 percent. However, both elections are only comparable to a limited extent.
According to Muno, Schwesig is still firmly in the saddle as party leader. “The 2021 election victory is largely hers. She has only loyal allies in her leadership circle,” he stated. At the state party conference in April, she was clearly confirmed in office with 96 percent. And in honor of her milestone birthday, the state association is inviting people to a “relaxed reception” a week later.
But the Prime Minister is already looking beyond this celebration. She will hold the office of President of the Federal Council until autumn. This is linked to the organization of the central celebration for the Day of German Unity. “This is a great opportunity for our country,” she explained and promised to take advantage of the opportunity to host her city.