Who is Lars Klingbeil?
Born in 1978 in Soltau, Lower Saxony, Lars Klingbeil studied political science in Hanover and worked for Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in his constituency office. A Bundestag seat has been his since 2009. The party made him General Secretary in 2017, and in 2021 he became one of its co-chairs. After the SPD's February 2025 defeat he took charge of its Bundestag group and led the coalition negotiations with the CDU/CSU. He was sworn in as Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor on 6 May 2025.
Previously: Chair of the SPD Bundestag group (February-May 2025) · SPD General Secretary (2017-2021) · Member of the Bundestag (2005, since 2009)
Documented positions
- Russia's aggression and the unpredictability of the United States were his reasons for backing the March 2025 debt brake reform for defence, together with a 500 billion euro infrastructure fund.Source: wlrn.org
- As Finance Minister he presented the 2026 federal budget, and in November 2025 he cast his vote in favour.Source: abgeordnetenwatch.de
- His vote in December 2025 went to the pension package, under which the pension level stays at 48 percent until 2031.Source: abgeordnetenwatch.de
- A March 2026 vote of his backed the Grundsicherung, with tougher sanctions, as the replacement for the Bürgergeld.Source: abgeordnetenwatch.de
- February 2026 saw him vote for the law putting the EU asylum reform into practice, border procedures included.Source: abgeordnetenwatch.de
- He voted yes on the December 2025 military service law, which brings compulsory screening of young men.Source: abgeordnetenwatch.de
- In December 2025 he voted down a Linke motion that called for abolishing the inheritance tax breaks that cover the largest inheritances.Source: abgeordnetenwatch.de
- Following the September 2026 state elections, he said that the SPD is standing by the coalition but that the present situation can't continue unchanged.Source: kuwaittimes.com
Record
Under Klingbeil the finance ministry drew up the first budgets to make use of the new room for borrowing on defence and infrastructure. The SPD's weak result in the 2025 election was followed in June 2025 by his re-election as chair with 64.9 percent, the second-lowest result for an SPD chair. Supporters cite the pension guarantee as well as higher public investment in the coalition deal. Left-wing critics in the party cite the Grundsicherung reform and to tighter asylum rules, while the coalition partners have been pushing for spending cuts.
Bärbel Bas, who shared the chair with him, stepped down on 12 October 2026 from the SPD chair and from her post as labour minister, so Klingbeil is now sole chair. Around the turn of the year, a congress is due to re-elect the whole SPD leadership. He has left open whether he will stand again and has said he will stay on as Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor. Alexander Schweitzer, who was Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate, has been named to take over from Bas as labour minister.
In their words
“Ich bin sehr gerne Finanzminister und Vizekanzler dieses Landes und werde das auch weiterhin bleiben”
