After the repeat election, Berlin’s governing mayor Franziska Giffey is experiencing, in her own words, “at the moment hatred and hate speech from certain camps that I didn’t know before”. That’s what the SPD state chairman said in an interview with the “Zeit Online” portal. “Only because I dare, as the runner-up in the current legislature, to continue talking and working with my previous coalition partners until a new Senate is sworn in.”
Suddenly, their legitimacy was questioned on social networks and in some media, “although that’s exactly my duty under the constitution,” said Giffey. The governor spoke of a “kind of campaign” with the accusation that she was sticking to power. She thinks that’s “really bad”. Giffey sees a growing contempt for people who are politically active. “Sometimes you get the impression that you can throw any insult, hate or hate speech at politicians today.”
About the evening of the election, Giffey said “Zeit Online” that it was “also one of the most bitter days” of her career. “Nevertheless, I don’t think it’s presumptuous to want to continue playing a formative role in the city as a runner-up.” When asked if she could imagine the role of a senator in a coalition with the CDU, she said: “I’m ready to find the best way for Berlin and to think beyond the day for the SPD. It’s not about that that I’ll stay seated in my chair, but also how the SPD will stand in the next election in three years.” When asked about this, she reiterated: “No, I’m not attached to my office. Really not.”
Next week, the victorious CDU and the SPD want to decide in Berlin which party they want to pursue coalition negotiations with. That was what CDU top candidate Kai Wegner and Giffey announced on Friday after the third round of exploratory talks by both parties.
