Germany’s Social Democratic Party closed a two-day congress in Berlin by bidding farewell to former chancellor Olaf Scholz and long-time co-chair Saskia Esken, even as senior figures warned the party is experiencing its deepest post-war crisis. Scholz, 67, pledged to remain an active voice and cautioned delegates against ‘illusions’ about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Esken received prolonged standing ovations after formally handing the leadership baton to Lars Klingbeil, who was reconfirmed but with a modest 65 % of the vote. The most contentious policy fight centred on whether Germany should revive conscription to plug a widening manpower gap at the Bundeswehr. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, citing a shortfall of tens of thousands of soldiers, sought permission to embed a mandatory call-up in pending legislation. The SPD’s youth wing, the Jusos, initially rejected any compulsory draft. After hours of negotiations, delegates approved a compromise that backs a Swedish-style voluntary national service and allows a draft only ‘when all measures to boost voluntary enlistment are exhausted’. The text also sets a goal of recruiting at least 60,000 additional active-duty personnel and 200,000 reservists. The deal defused a showdown that threatened to overshadow the congress. The debate reflects wider tensions in the centre-left party over Germany’s rearmament. Klingbeil is pushing a 70 % increase in defence spending by 2029, while veterans such as historian Peter Brandt accuse the leadership of abandoning Willy Brandt’s détente legacy. How the SPD reconciles demands for a stronger NATO posture with its traditional pacifist instincts will shape both the party’s renewal and Berlin’s security policy in the coming years.