SPD selects Katarina Barley as lead candidate for 2024 European elections

● Katarina Barley Nominated as SPD’s Lead Candidate

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) has chosen Katarina Barley as its lead candidate for the forthcoming 2024 European elections.

Currently serving as the Vice President of the European Parliament, Barley’s nomination was unanimously approved by the SPD executive committee.

This marks the second time she assumes this role, her first stint being during the 2019 European elections, which resulted in the SPD’s poorest performance to date, securing just 15.8% of the vote.

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● Barley’s Role in the European Parliament

Despite the SPD’s previous performance, Barley has managed to maintain a comparatively low profile within the European Parliament.

Her responsibilities have encompassed financial, organisational, and administrative matters.

Furthermore, she has represented the Parliament at official events as delegated by Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

● Advocating for Rule of Law in the European Union

Throughout her tenure, Barley has been a vocal advocate for decisive action against violations of the rule of law within the European Union. She has openly criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, accusing him of suppressing media freedom in Hungary.

Furthermore, she has expressed disapproval towards Manfred Weber, a member of the Christian Social Union and the leader of the European People’s Party. Barley has accused Weber of intentionally courting right-wing support and openly planning to collaborate with right-wing populists and far-right parties following the European elections.

● Barley’s Political Career Prior to European Parliament

Prior to joining the European Parliament, Barley held several prominent positions in the German government. She served as the Federal Minister of Justice, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, and General Secretary of the SPD. Additionally, she worked as a research assistant at the Federal Constitutional Court for several years.

Barley has been an SPD member since 1994 and is a mother of two. She launched her career as a lawyer before being elected to the Bundestag in 2013. In a remarkable career move in 2019, she became the first person in the federal government to resign from a ministerial position to run as a lead candidate in the European elections.

●Other Parties Announce Their Lead Candidates

The lead candidates for the European elections have also been announced by other parties. Defence expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann will run for the Free Democratic Party (FDP), while Martin Schirdewan, the current co-chair of the European Parliament’s parliamentary group, will run for The Left party. The Left party has also proposed refugee activist Carola Rackete for one of the top positions on its list.[bnn.network]