The CDU and SPD want to negotiate the formation of a joint government in Berlin. After the state board of the SPD, the CDU also pronounced itself yesterday in favor of corresponding negotiations. The state council unanimously voted in favor, as a CDU spokesperson announced.
That signals a shift in power in the capital, which has been ruled by the SPD, the Greens and the Left since 2016, although the former tripartite alliance also had a majority in the new parliament. If black and red work, Franziska Giffey (SPD), who has only been head of government since December 2021, would have to leave City Hall. She declared her willingness to work as a senator in the new state government.
In that case, the new ruling mayor would be CDU lead candidate Kai Wegner. The CDU last provided a head of government in Berlin with Eberhard Diepgen, who held the post from 1984 to 1989 and from 1991 to 2001.
The SPD has a narrow lead over the Greens
The CDU won the rerun election on February 12 with 28.2 percent. SPD and Greens got 18.4 percent. With 53 votes, the Social Democrats have a tiny lead over the Greens. They fared worse than ever in a House of Representatives election. The left reached 12.2 percent, the AfD 9.1. The FDP exited parliament with 4.6 percent.
Since February 17, the parties have explored in exploratory talks whether there is common ground for coalition talks and the formation of a government. The CDU spoke three times with the SPD and the Greens. SPD, Verdes and Esquerda also met three times.
Berlin’s Constitutional Court declared the September 26, 2021 election invalid due to “serious systemic deficiencies” and numerous electoral errors. The court ordered a full retake. Nothing changes in the length of the five-year legislative period. So it ends in 2026.
Green and left disappointed
The former coalition partners of the SPD in Berlin, the Greens and the Left, reacted with great indignation to the decision of the Social Democrats in favor of the black-red coalition negotiations. “It was not nominated for us,” said Left Party President Katina Schubert of the daily taz newspaper (online edition).
The leader of the Greens’ parliamentary group in the House of Representatives, Silke Gebel, told Phoenix television station: “If you have worked well together for six years, it is very strange, surprising and a very clear breach of trust when you find out from a partner of the newspaper’s coalition that he decided on someone else.”