Berlin’s Green Party leader Werner Graf still sees a basis for a red-green-red coalition government. In the event that there should be a majority against black and red in the SPD member vote on Sunday, he told the German Press Agency: “That means that we will have to hold talks again.” Before the parliamentary elections in February, the Greens said their preference was an alliance with the SPD and the left. “What we say before the election also applies after the election and after the membership decision.”
The Greens have always said that they are also ready for talks with the CDU. “We have neither closed the door to Red-Green-Red nor to Black-Green, but rather the SPD has decided that it would rather conduct coalition negotiations with the CDU,” said the Greens parliamentary group leader. And the CDU responded to it.
After the exploratory talks, Graf declared in early March that one could talk when the door was open again. “But there’s one thing I don’t want: Franziska Giffey and Raed Saleh standing behind this door again.”
However, this should not be understood as a condition for possible talks after the SPD member vote. “The SPD has to look at how the SPD positions itself, each party decides on its own staff,” said Graf.
“It’s not surprising that the Greens aren’t the biggest Giffey fan club, but that’s not the crucial question,” said the Greens parliamentary group leader. That is, with which parties the best results for Berlin can be achieved. “And we said that the door for red-green-red was slammed shut by the SPD, but that the door is still there and we’d be happy to open it again.”
He explained the irritated atmosphere between the coalition partners and mutual accusations after the end of the exploratory talks: “These were emotional weeks, it’s upsetting, it was after a tough election campaign, where everyone was already exhausted.”
The Berlin SPD members have until Friday evening to vote on the coalition agreement negotiated with the CDU. The Social Democrats want to announce the result on Sunday afternoon.
