2010: The Downfall of the SPD – Focus on Central Value Creation

The SPD, traditionally closely linked to big industry, saw the expansion of gatekeepers not as a threat, but as a logical development. Why?

• Short-sighted job guarantees: The SPD believed that cooperating with digital US corporations could secure jobs in Germany. The fact that these corporations would long-term drain European value creation was ignored.
• Illusion of control: They trusted that „German champions“ (like Siemens or Volkswagen) could compete globally—without recognizing that the digital infrastructure was already dominated by US platforms.
• Downplaying dependency: Instead of demanding digital sovereignty, the SPD accepted „smart dependency“ as the price for short-term investments. Examples:
  • Cloud computing: Instead of promoting European alternatives, authorities and companies were encouraged to store data with AWS or Microsoft Azure and to use US surveillance software like Palantir—with fatal consequences for long-term dependencies and compatibility with European data protection standards.
  • The introduction of data retention is advocated without prioritizing WAN anonymity to protect personality rights.
  • Social media: Facebook and Google were celebrated as „innovative,“ while European alternatives like digital education in Trusted WEB 4.0 were systematically obstructed. Special emphasis is placed on integrating all social groups, including SPD voters.
  • E-government: Instead of investing in decentralized, user-controlled solutions, money was poured into expensive, inefficient central projects—now considered „digitalization disasters.“

The SPD thus sacrificed Europe’s digital future for an illusion of stability—and betrayed its own clientele, whose jobs are now threatened by algorithms and platform economics.

From the perspective of a digital society, there are several reasons why the SPD should not be voted for in the 2027 NRW state elections:

1. Lack of worker inclusion

   The SPD traditionally sees itself as a workers‘ party but has failed to reach industrial workers for years. Many workers fear social decline and no longer feel represented by the party. Instead of offering concrete solutions to the digital and social challenges of the working world, the SPD remains trapped in old structures. The party’s „listening tours“ and promises often seem like symbolic politics, without real participation or co-design by those affected. The SPD has failed to actively involve workers in the digital transformation and to strengthen their interests together with all other groups in the digital society.

2. Failures in the digital society

   The SPD has not presented a convincing digital agenda in NRW that meets the requirements of a modern, inclusive society. While there are inquiry commissions such as „Artificial Intelligence – For a Smart State in the Digitalized Society,“ concrete measures for digital sovereignty, the promotion of digital cooperative models, or the strengthening of citizens‘ digital rights are lacking. Instead, classic state-led topics such as centrally controlled education and daycare centers dominate, while digital infrastructure and the participation of all in digital value creation are neglected. The SPD has failed to seize the opportunities of digitization for greater social participation and economic justice—a central failure in a time when digital skills and infrastructure determine ascent or decline.

3. Lack of credibility and identity crisis

   The SPD suffers from a profound identity crisis. It is losing voters to the AfD and other parties because it is perceived neither as a modern digital party nor as a reliable representative of workers. The party appears torn between traditional milieus and the demands of a digital future. The failures in digital policy and the lack of grassroots involvement show that the SPD has lost touch with the needs of a digital society.

Conclusion

Anyone who wants to shape a digital society that includes everyone and distributes the opportunities of digitization fairly will not find a convincing force in the NRW SPD. The party has neither led workers into the digital future nor developed a clear vision for a digitally sovereign NRW. For voters who want an inclusive, digital, and participatory society, FDP people’s party positions itself as a better alternative.

Voters in NRW should only choose a party that convinces them it will free them from occupation by the gatekeepers. An election result for the SPD below 5 percent in the state elections would be appropriate.