Head of Germany's SPD Party to Resign After Party Suffers Blow at EU Vote

08:06 GMT, 2 June 2019

SPD leader Andrea Nahles, who was the head of her party in the Bundestag, is resigning. Nahles said on Sunday in a press release that she'll declare her resignation as SPD chairwoman on Monday and on Tuesday she'll tender her resignation as the party's top legislator.

Sputnik

"The discussions within the parliamentary faction and feedback from within the party have shown me that I no longer have the necessary support to carry out my duties," Nahles said in a statement.

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"I sincerely hope that you will be able to rebuild trust and mutual respect, and thus find people who can support you with all their might. Our country needs a strong SPD!" she added.

Andrea Nahles' decision follows the SPD's poor results in the European parliamentary elections, which reduced the SPD to Germany's third-biggest party after its coalition partner, the CDU, and the Greens.

Nahles became leader of the SPD in April 2018, having led the party in the national bundestag since September 2017. She was also the first woman to head the party.

The European Parliament elections to the 751-seat parliamentary institution were held across EU member states from May 23-26.