Seven weeks after the repeat elections in Berlin, the CDU and SPD are presenting their coalition agreement today. The negotiations had lasted a good three weeks and, viewed from the outside, went comparatively harmoniously. The leaders of both parties repeatedly praised what they saw as a good and constructive atmosphere. So far, Berlin has been governed by a coalition of SPD, Greens and Left.
The priorities of the black-red government program include more housing, a billion-dollar program for more climate protection, administrative reform and better equipment for the police and fire brigade. It is also important for both parties to commit to a colourful, diverse city in which people of all walks of life feel at home and can develop.
Who gets which departments?
At the weekend, the CDU and SPD put the final touches to the coalition agreement and clarified any outstanding issues, not least on financing. They also agreed on the planned distribution of departments.
As it was said from negotiating circles, the CDU should take over the important department for environment, mobility and climate protection. In addition, there are the Senate Departments for Education, Finance, Justice and Culture. According to the agreement, the SPD should also lead five senate administrations: interior, housing and construction, work and social affairs, business, and health and science.
In addition, the CDU, as the winner of the repeat election on February 12, will in future provide the governing mayor: your country chief Kai Wegner is scheduled for the office. In the town hall, he would be the successor to SPD chairwoman Franziska Giffey, who wants to work as a senator in the new state government. Which people from both parties take over which posts was not the subject of the agreement on Sunday evening. This will be officially announced at a later date.
Head of government election at the end of April at the earliest
After the presentation of the coalition agreement, there are still two hurdles to be overcome on the way to a black-red Senate. The SPD is starting a member vote this week, the result of which will be announced on April 23. The CDU will decide on the government program at a party conference, which is expected to take place after the SPD results have been announced.
The election of Wegner as head of government and the swearing-in of the senators can therefore take place at the end of April at the earliest, i.e. in just under four weeks. The fact that the Black-Red project will still fail at the party base is considered unlikely, although there was resistance to it, especially in the SPD.
There, a number of members had advocated continuing the three-party coalition with the Greens and the Left, which was formed for the first time in 2016 and again in 2021. Such an alliance would still have had a majority in the new House of Representatives. SPD leader Giffey could even have remained governing mayor in this coalition.
But she decided, together with the rest of the party leadership, to form a coalition as a junior partner with the election winner, the CDU – and hopes that the coalition agreement that has been negotiated will appease those within the party who criticize this change.
Re-election made headlines
The CDU clearly won the repeat election in Berlin on February 12 with 28.2 percent. SPD and Greens both came to 18.4 percent. However, the Social Democrats only have a very narrow lead of 53 votes over the Greens. They did worse than ever in a House of Representatives election. The left came to 12.2 percent, the AfD to 9.1. The FDP flew with 4.6 percent from the parliament, which now has five instead of six parliamentary groups.
The Berlin Constitutional Court declared the election on September 26, 2021, after which Giffey became head of government, to be invalid due to “serious systemic deficiencies” and numerous electoral errors and ordered a repetition.
Election results All elected MPs
