Who rules with whom? After the Berlin election, the parties stalk each other. CDU election winner Kai Wegner puts pressure on and wants to hold initial talks – also with Giffey.
Munich/Berlin – There’s nothing nice about it, so she doesn’t even try. Franziska Giffey speaks of a “bitter evening” for the SPD, all in all she sounds as if no stone should be left unturned. The voters, she says somewhat vaguely, have given “a clear mandate for change”. But, and this but is important: “We claim to continue to help shape this city”.
Berlin election: Giffey experiences SPD debacle – no commitment to red-green-red
It is a difficult performance for Berlin’s governing mayor: in office for a little over a year, she is now the face of a historic defeat. The day after the SPD election debacle, Giffey indicated that she herself finds this quite unfair. 13 months are not five years, she says, but then comes to the next few days. There will be talks, with the CDU, but also with the coalition partners of the Greens and the Left. What is striking: Giffey cannot be elicited a commitment to red-green-red. No longer.
After the Berlin election, you have to unravel a few things: the CDU is the clear winner with a good 28 percent, the SPD and the Greens are almost ten points behind, with Giffey’s SPD being a delicate 105 votes stronger than the Greens. CDU top candidate Kai Wegner derives a “clear government mandate” from this on Monday. CDU leader Friedrich Merz also says: “The will of the voters couldn’t be clearer.” The SPD, however, believes that everything depends on who can organize a stable government majority. In other words, the situation is tricky.
Berlin election: Mayor Giffey suffered severe bankruptcy against Kai Wegner
That doesn’t have to be a disadvantage for Giffey. In a new edition of Red-Green-Red, she would probably remain the governing mayor. In order to make a Berlin GroKo palatable to the Social Democrats, CDU man Kai Wegner would have to make a lot of concessions to the SPD. Then Giffey would no longer be the mother of the country, but her career would continue. That’s the theory.
Another question is whether your national association will play along. There is obviously great frustration with the top candidate, and many blame her personally for the defeat. The fact that Giffey lost her direct mandate is representative of the entire party, which was unable to win a single constituency after second votes. “The result is a turning point for us,” said Vice Party leader Kian Niroomand yesterday. “It can not go on like this” – processing is necessary. Some probably wanted a signal from Giffey: For example, the renunciation of the state presidency.
After the Berlin election, Giffey sends signals in the direction of the CDU: warning to the still partners in the Red City Hall
Instead, it sends clearly audible signals in the direction of the CDU. Central issues such as internal security, transport, housing and administrative reform require a realignment, says Giffey and emphasizes: “We have to talk about that,” even with a new edition of Red-Green-Red. You can understand that as an honest analysis – and as a warning to the still partners in the Red City Hall.
They obviously feel much more connected to the current coalition. “Serious” talks will be held with the CDU, says leading candidate Bettina Jarasch on Monday, who is in a pretty good mood. She does not rule out an alliance. But you have a “clear preference” for red-green-red. Klaus Lederer, the top candidate of the left, wants a sequel even more urgently. It is the left’s only option for power.
Berlin election: difficult to form a government – “doers” Wegner calls for talks
It is clear to everyone that forming a government will be difficult and will take time. Giffey therefore points out that the Senate is continuing its work for the time being. “We have a coalition that is fully capable of action.” CDU man Wegner is putting pressure on. Invitations to exploratory talks should go out to the SPD and the Greens on Monday. “My goal is to form a successful Berlin government that will bring this city back together,” he says. We shouldn’t waste any time now. “Now is not the time for tactics. Now is the time for doers.” What he can do depends to a large extent on Giffey and her SPD.
#Power #poker #Berlin #election #begins #Giffey #continue #rule