In the election for federal Juso chairmanship in 1977, he was defeated by Klaus Uwe Benneter, who was later suspended from the SPD, and in 1978 he lost to Gerhard Schröder.
In the 1977 election for the federal Juso chairmanship, he was unsuccessful against Klaus Uwe Benneter, who was subsequently expelled from the SPD. He also lost to Gerhard Schröder in 1978.