{
  "id": 9145897,
  "title": "Nach Wahldebakel: Berlins SPD-Fraktionschef tritt nicht wieder an",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/nach-wahldebakel-berlins-spd-fraktionschef-tritt-nicht-wieder-an",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-22T13:23:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/nach-wahldebakel-berlins-spd-fraktionschef-tritt-nicht-wieder-an/100256617.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "In the aftermath of a disastrous performance in the Berlin state election, the long-serving SPD faction leader Raed Saleh has announced he will not seek re-election for the position. The 49-year-old SPD politician, who has led the faction for 15 years, said the people no longer see the party as competent in their core areas and do not know what the party stands for. He added that the SPD did not convince either in terms of substance or personnel.\n\nAfter the election, the SPD managed only 12.1% of the vote and finished fifth, a historic low. The Left (Linke) emerged as the strongest party with 25.7% of the vote. The CDU came in second with 18.8%, followed by the AfD at 16.3% and the Greens at 14.3%.\n\nSaleh believes a coalition between the Left, Greens, and SPD could be formed, but a coalition of CDU, Greens, and SPD is also a possibility. He stated that the party would be heading towards irrelevance if responsible leaders did not step aside after such a disaster. Saleh, who has been a key figure in the Berlin SPD for years, took responsibility for the election results and acknowledged the need to address the party's direction - whether to join a government with the Left and Greens, enter a coalition with the CDU and Greens, or accept a minority government.",
  "summary": "Nach 15 Jahren an der Spitze zieht Raed Saleh Konsequenzen aus dem historisch schlechten Wahlergebnis: Er will nicht erneut für den Vorsitz der SPD-Fraktion im Berliner Abgeordnetenhaus kandidieren.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}