Kai Wegner in “Early Start”
Berlin’s CDU boss sees “many intersections” with the SPD
02/14/2023, 10:35 am
After the election to the Berlin House of Representatives, Berlin’s CDU leader Wegner showed no clear preference for a future coalition. However, he also says that there are “many overlaps in content” with the SPD.
Berlin’s CDU leader Kai Wegner wants to hold exploratory talks with the SPD and the Greens this week. He does not show any preference for either party: “We extended the invitation at the same time so that no preferences were discernible,” says the election winner in ntv’s “Frühstart”.
He himself has no preferences. “Seriously, I’ll be very open with both of them. It’s important to me that we develop a trusting working relationship,” says Wegner. In the past six years, the red-green-red Senate has “argued on the open stage and the Berliners don’t want that anymore”. It is better to work together and solve the city’s problems. “That’s my goal in the explorations. And I’ll explore with the SPD and the Greens what’s going on there.”
Referring to a Forsa survey, according to which a majority of Berliners want a black-red coalition, Wegner said: “I also felt that during the election campaign, especially in transport policy. The division of this city – inner city against outskirts, Bike versus car – that has divided the city very much. And I want to bring the city back together.”
A Forsa survey commissioned by RTL/ntv shows that 65 percent of those entitled to vote in Berlin believe that the CDU has the task of forming the new Senate based on the election results. 15 percent see the contract with the SPD. According to 45 percent, a coalition of the CDU and SPD would best govern the city. 33 percent say this about red-green-red., 15 percent about black-green.
Data were collected on February 13th. Database: 1126 respondents. Error tolerance: plus/minus 3 percentage points.
But here, too, Wegner avoided committing himself to one party: the election map shows that the CDU is very strong in the outskirts. “In the city center you have many green constituencies, and now it’s a matter of bringing this city back together. And of course there are a lot of overlaps with the SPD in terms of content. But we have to find out whether the SPD is really ready to work together in a spirit of trust a black-red coalition. And that’s what the talks will show.”
The first exploratory rounds are to take place next Friday and Monday. It is still unclear whether the CDU will speak first to the SPD or first to the Greens.