“The three parties see the election result as a mandate and a basis for taking responsibility for our city and leading Berlin into the future with a progressive, stable and viable government. We can master the challenges the city is facing with experience and competence.” This is how the coalition agreement begins, which the SPD, the Greens and the Left Party signed 14 months ago, on December 21, 2021, in Berlin. On Tuesday afternoon, the three parties met at the SPD headquarters in the district of Wedding to explore – after the re-election on February 12, a new Senate must be formed.
Following the exploratory talks, it was said that the participants had agreed to another meeting on Thursday. This was announced by the governing mayor and SPD top candidate Franziska Giffey (SPD), Greens top candidate Bettina Jarasch and Left top candidate Klaus Lederer on Tuesday evening. “Today it was a bit about evaluating the election result,” said Giffey. It was not good for the coalition. “That’s why it has to be dealt with critically,” said the SPD politician.
Lederer announced that they wanted to start the thematic discussion on Thursday and then take the necessary time for it. Jarasch added that, based on the mood in the city, the time had been taken to very thoroughly develop a common understanding of where the coalition now stands and what needs to be done to govern even better together.
All three parties basically want to continue the coalition. For the SPD it is the only chance that the governing mayor Franziska Giffey keeps her office; for the left it is the only way to continue governing. For the Greens there is the black-green option, but it is difficult to convey it to the mostly left-wing members.
However, there are a few difficulties of a political nature in continuing the three-party coalition. All three parties lost in the election; the CDU, on the other hand, reached 28.2 percent and gained more than ten points. According to a survey by the opinion research institute Civey, which is cited by the “Tagesspiegel”, two-thirds of Berliners are against the SPD leading the next Senate again after the election. However, other government constellations are not popular among Berliners either.
Red-green-red ruled with discord
SPD, Greens and Left will have to make it credible that they will work together better than has been the case up to now. There was already a lack of good cooperation in the red-green-red Senate, which had been in office under SPD man Michael Müller since 2016; things didn’t get much better under Giffey. Giffey said on Tuesday evening that the reasons for the result of the election had been discussed and the question of what changes there had to be in the cooperation. “It is clear to everyone that there must be changes.” Greens top candidate Jarasch said there were thoughtful discussions. The three parties agreed on a next meeting on Thursday.
A critical point for the possible three-way alliance is the question of whether private housing companies should be expropriated. The left want it badly; Like the federal SPD, Giffey is against it. The question is currently being dealt with by a commission of experts. It is to examine the constitutionality as well as the affordability. The Commission is due to make a recommendation in a few months; deviating votes are possible. According to information from the FAZ, the Greens, who occupy a middle position, want to insist that the question be clarified during the soundings, otherwise the stability of a red-green-red coalition would be endangered.
In the election 14 months ago, the three parties got 54.4 percent of the votes, now it’s 49 percent. Nevertheless, the three-party alliance would have a lead over a two-party coalition led by the CDU. The Union would get 46.6 percent of the votes in a coalition with the SPD or the Greens (both 18.4 percent). According to the preliminary result, red-green-red would have 90 out of 159 seats in the House of Representatives, black-red or black-green 86. The official result is to be announced on February 27th. The SPD is currently only 113 votes ahead of the Greens.