Berlin’s CDU state chairman Kai Wegner and Berlin’s governing mayor, Franziska Giffey (SPD), during exploratory talks on February 17 Bild: dpa
Berlin’s governing mayor wants to propose black-red coalition negotiations to the SPD state executive this Wednesday. If the proposal is not approved, Franziska Giffey might resign as state chair.
According to FAZ information, Franziska Giffey, Governing Mayor of Berlin, wants the SPD state executive to start coalition negotiations with the SPD this Wednesday CDU suggest. If the board does not agree to the proposal, Giffey will resign as SPD state chairman, it is said. However, approval by the board, which meets in the followingnoon, is considered likely.
For the SPD politician, a coalition with the CDU would mean that she herself cannot remain governing mayor; the office would probably fall to CDU top candidate Kai Wegner. The CDU won the election on February 12 with 28.2 percent; SPD and Greens followed with 18.4 percent each, with the SPD just 53 votes ahead of the Greens.
Left SPD wing wants to continue red-green-red
By continuing the previous coalition with the Greens and the Left, Giffey might have stayed in Berlin’s Red City Hall. Giffey had said she wasn’t glued to her chair. She had rejected the demand of the left for the expropriation of private housing companies. The left wing of the Berlin SPD, on the other hand, wants to Red-Green-Red continue. But the Berlin SPD lacks a personnel alternative.
Opponents of a black-red alliance in the Berlin SPD might try to stop it with an early state party conference. Secretary General Kevin Kühnert, who has great influence in the Berlin state association, had campaigned for red-green-red from the federal level.
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But there are also considerations of a ballot by the Berlin SPD members, which would probably go in favor of black and red. In recent days there has been speculation that Giffey might continue to serve in a black and red Senate as a “super senator” with a particularly influential portfolio.
The CDU had initially shown sympathy for an alliance with the Greens; however, the soundings revealed major differences with the Greens in many policy areas such as transport and home affairs, while there was much agreement with the SPD.
CDU and Greens talked
Late Tuesday evening ended with the third and final meeting of CDU and Greens the phase of the exploratory talks, in which the parties wanted to find out with whom coalition talks seemed promising and a later joint government possible. After the eight-and-a-half-hour meeting, neither CDU state chief Wegner nor the Greens’ top candidate Bettina Jarasch gave any indication as to who they would like to start coalition negotiations with.
Wegner said the talks were very solution-oriented. The two exploratory teams found many things in common, for example in the areas of education, health, science, but also financial policy.
Jarasch said: “We were actually able to solve the really big chunks.” According to her, this included the question of the controversial further construction of the Autobahn 100 and dealing with the successful referendum on the expropriation of large housing companies in Berlin. She did not give any details.
Jarasch surprised by SPD
Jarasch said regarding the reports on the SPD state board meeting this Wednesday: “We were surprised by this step by the SPD leadership. It also does not correspond to the course and results of our previous talks with our current coalition partners.”
According to Wegner, the CDU state executive is to be convened on Thursday to discuss the topic of coalition negotiations. The green are planning a small party conference on this question on Tuesday.
Which: mwe/bard.