The AfD politician Ulrich Siegmund has announced that he will stand for election as Prime Minister in the December session of the Magdeburg state parliament. He reports on constructive discussions with another parliamentary group and with individual other members of the state parliament.
Before the state elections, Siegmund had repeatedly ruled out governing without his own absolute majority - he only wanted to be elected Prime Minister if his party could govern alone, he emphasized several times. He did not comment on the exact construction of a future government. However, it is a format above a minority government that is currently being explored. His goal was always to establish a stable government.
How Siegmund comes into office remains unclear. The AfD has 39 members in parliament. The CDU, Left, Greens and SPD together also have 39 seats, the BSW is represented by five representatives. For a majority in parliament, 42 votes are needed. However, the BSW has announced that it will abstain from the Prime Minister election. In the third round of voting, a majority of votes cast is sufficient in Saxony-Anhalt. Abstentions are not counted.
The Berlin SPD leader Steffen Krach is not seeking a position in a possible red-green-red Senate. “I will not be a member of the next government in Berlin, but I will of course follow the work of the government very closely from the House of Representatives, in whatever constellation,” he announced.
He came to stay “and to rebuild our SPD into a strong Berlin party in the coming years.” According to Krach, he will best fulfill this task in a role that connects the party and the parliamentary group. “It will be about positioning the party strongly and consistently with the parliamentary group.” An office within the next Senate is therefore out of the question for him, said Krach.
After their clear election victory on September 20th, the Berlin Left wants to forge a three-party coalition with the Greens and the SPD. The exploratory talks are scheduled to begin this week, dates are still open. Noise comes from difficult conversations. “The coming weeks will not be a walk in the park, it will be a rocky road,” he told the dpa news agency.
Despite all the similarities between the three parties, he sees some “hard issues” that need to be clearly clarified in the explorations, especially the issue of anti-Semitism. “There must be a binding agreement that not only condemns anti-Semitism and affirms Israel’s right to exist, but also provides clear consequences for anti-Semitic incidents.”
The Berlin Left is taking legal action against other politicians who have accused the party of anti-Semitism and proximity to criminal clans via social media. According to a party spokesman, a lawyer sent so-called cease-and-desist letters to Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche and Schleswig-Holstein's Interior Minister Magdalena Finke (both CDU).
Both should undertake not to repeat certain statements on official government channels. If this does not happen, the party reserves the right to take further legal action. The Berlin Left had recently filed a criminal complaint against Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) for statements made on a TV talk show.
From the left's perspective, both statements violate the requirement of neutrality in political competition and the right to equal opportunities. Government members are obliged to provide factual information when using the official social media channels of their ministries.
At the start of exploratory talks with the SPD and the Left in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Green Party state chairwoman Katharina Horn is withdrawing. The Green politician explained that she was leaving her office on hold. She will not run again in the new state executive elections in November. Horn, a trained boat builder, gave professional reasons for her decision.
One week after the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, exploratory talks to form a new state government began. According to information from the German Press Agency, the SPD has been speaking to its previous government partner, the Left, at a secret location since the morning.
The Berlin Left wants to hold exploratory talks with the Greens and SPD to form a government in the capital. The delegates at a party conference that evening decided this with a large majority. The explorations should therefore examine whether the political prerequisites for starting coalition negotiations exist.
The Berlin Left staunchly defends itself against accusations of anti-Semitism, but is also self-critical. “Jewish people must feel safe in our city,” said the new parliamentary group leader Elif Eralp at a party conference. “I will strengthen diverse Jewish life and fight anti-Semitism,” added the politician, who wants to become mayor after winning the Berlin election.
The Berlin Greens want to closely involve their party members before a possible government is formed. “After successful explorations, a state committee will discuss the results and decide whether to enter into coalition negotiations,” it said in a statement.
The Berlin SPD deputy leader Cansel Kiziltepe has spoken out in favor of coalition negotiations between her party and the election winners Left and the Greens. “The people of Berlin decided on left-wing politics on election day,” said Kiziltepe.
