The Berlin SPD is fundamentally ready for exploratory talks to form a government with the election winner, the Left Party, as well as with the CDU. The SPD top candidate and state chairman Steffen Krach made this clear.
He believes it is necessary for parties to talk to each other and explore things, he said on the sidelines of an SPD parliamentary group meeting in the state parliament. According to the SPD, this doesn't just apply to the left. «If the CDU invites us, then of course we will also discuss it. This also applies to the other parties,” he said. However, there is no official invitation yet.
Berlin's CDU top candidate Stefan Evers, who was elected CDU parliamentary group leader in the House of Representatives with 93.75 percent, left open possible talks about a coalition. “I have always emphasized that we are willing to talk to all parties in the middle of society,” said Evers. “The mood in both parties, i.e. the SPD and the Greens, is such that people want to talk to the left first.”
No preliminary discussions yet
Unlike between the Left and the Greens, according to Krach, there have not yet been any preliminary discussions between the Left and the SPD. “I haven’t spoken to the Left yet and neither has co-state chairwoman Bettina König,” he said.
The SPD is waiting for the Left state party conference on Friday. “This is a very conscious decision on our part as management and state board.” At the party conference, the Left wants to decide whether to officially invite the Greens and the SPD to exploratory talks, as the party leadership has suggested.
Left clearly ahead in the election
In the election for the Berlin House of Representatives last Sunday, the Left was by far the strongest force, ahead of the CDU, AfD, Greens and SPD. She now wants to forge an alliance with the Greens and the SPD and, with her top candidate Elif Eralp, become the governing mayor for the first time.
"No automatism"
There is also a proposal in the Berlin SPD to go into opposition and tolerate a minority government made up of the Left and the Greens. “There is a lot of discussion going on everywhere in the party because the result was really devastating for us as the SPD. And that’s why government participation is not automatic,” said Krach.
“But of course we have a responsibility for the city and we live up to it. We will think about everything very carefully in the next few days and weeks.”
Krach should become parliamentary group leader
Krach is to lead the new and smaller SPD parliamentary group together with the Neukölln SPD district chairwoman Derya Caglar. The parliamentary group nominated the SPD state chairman and the previous deputy parliamentary group leader at its meeting, as the German Press Agency learned from party circles.
Both will then be elected next Wednesday. The previous parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh announced on Tuesday that he would not run again after the party's poor performance in the Berlin election.
The SPD sees a need for clarification on the issue of anti-Semitism
The SPD continues to demand a clear position from the Left on the issue of anti-Semitism. “That wasn’t always just a red line, but it is still a red line for all Social Democrats,” said Krach. “And I have absolutely no understanding that there can be different opinions among Democrats.” That's why the ball is in the left's court.
The left-wing top candidate Eralp said that she was taking a clear position against anti-Semitism. “But these words are no longer enough,” emphasized Krach. He would be interested in what actually happened on the left after the events of the last few days and weeks.
The Berlin Left has been criticized, among other things, for controversial positions taken by parts of the party on the Middle East conflict and anti-Semitism. A well-known clan figure and a controversial pro-Palestinian activist were present at an election party organized by the Neukölln district association. The party leadership had rejected allegations. In addition to the SPD, the Greens are also calling for a clear stance on the left against hatred of Jews.
