Europe's center-left leaders were quick to praise the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) after it squeezed into first place in the country's legislative elections.

Following years of decline, center-left parties like the SPD have been resurgent recently. They are now in power – often with the support of more hardline left-wing parties – in Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. 

Green priorities  

In a sign that the SPD will most likely form a coalition with the Green Party that came in third at the election, center-left leaders cited the climate as a welcome priority for the next government.  

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Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, the secretary-general of Spain's Socialist Party, stated that "Spain and Germany will continue to work together for a stronger Europe and for a fair and green recovery that leaves no one behind."

The president of the European Parliament, the center-left Italian politician David Sassoli, tweeted: "Europe needs a strong and reliable partner in Berlin to continue our common work for a social and green recovery."

The green recovery – a widely-adopted name for a proposed package of environmental, regulatory and fiscal reforms to recover prosperity after the pandemic – has become the centerpiece of many European center-left political parties. 

Boring but effective campaigning

A year ago, the SPD was struggling in the polls, supported by around 15 percent of voters. After years in various coalition governments with Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union of Germany, the party was hemorrhaging voters. Younger Germans turned to the Greens, while the far-right Alternative for Germany gained voters in the east of the country.

The campaign by SPD's chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz has seemingly transformed the party's fortunes. Many branded his personality as robotic or even boring, but it has proved successful and drawn praise from European allies. 

Iratxe Garcia Perez, the Socialists and Democrats Group leader in the European Parliament, hailed the "respect and solidarity" of Scholz's campaign. 

"We aim for an SPD-led government to implement our political goals of a more sustainable and social future in Europe," she tweeted. 

The Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, was also effusive in her praise for her fellow socialists. The 62-year-old, who says she will run in the French presidential election in April, tweeted: "My full backing to Olaf Scholz who will be the next chancellor, I hope. During this beautiful campaign, the SPD upset forecasts thanks to its ambitious agenda."

In the UK, Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, said Scholz ran an "inspiring campaign," which demonstrated "that positive leadership matters." Starmer, facing criticism for his dry personal style, will look to Scholz's victory as a cause for optimism.

Strong Germany, strong France 

Germany's most important ally, France, gave a measured response to the news. "We will undoubtedly have a complicated coalition with probably three political parties together," said Clement Beaune, the French minister for Europe.

"But we have a French interest in having a strong German government in place quickly."

He also encouraged the French political class to learn from how the German election campaign played out. With six months to go until the next presidential election in France, bitter debates are underway between and within parties, as opposition candidates jockey for prime position to try to unseat President Emmanuel Macron in April.

"Our immediate neighbor greatly values ​​a form of stability and moderation," said Beaune. "During the campaign, there were debates of peaceful, good behavior, with a lot of listening. The contrast is striking."