2009年德國聯邦議院選舉之後，社民黨退出內閣，而蕭凌志當選為社民黨副黨魁。2009年至2011年期間，佢仲係社民黨阿富汗/巴基斯坦工作組嘅成員。2010年，佢去咗喺西班牙薛格斯舉行嘅比德堡年會。
After the 2009 Bundestag election in Germany, the SPD withdrew from the cabinet and Xiao Lingzhi was elected deputy leader of the SPD. Between 2009 and 2011 he was also a member of the SPD Working Group on Afghanistan/Pakistan. In 2010, he went to the Bidburg Annual Meeting in Schergers, Spain.