Die Zeit1 hour agoPolitics1 min readGermany

Stefan Evers becomes the new CDU parliamentary group leader in the Berlin House of Representatives

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Stefan Evers, the CDU's leading candidate in the Berlin election, was elected as the new parliamentary group leader in the Berlin House of Representatives with 93.75 percent.
In the vote, 30 MPs voted for him, two against him, two were absent.
Evers emphasized the need to make the CDU stable and capable of action and to seek talks with all center parties, while he observed that the SPD and the Greens first want to talk to the left.

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Why It Matters

The CDU won significantly in the 2023 House of Representatives election with 28.2 percent and was the strongest faction. In the election last Sunday, it lost significantly to 18.8 percent and became only the second strongest party behind the Left.

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The CDU's leading candidate in the Berlin election, Stefan Evers, takes over as chairman of the parliamentary group in the House of Representatives. A parliamentary group spokesman said in the evening that Evers was elected with a broad majority of 93.75 percent. At the meeting in the state parliament, 30 members voted for Evers and two against him. According to the information, two deputies were missing.

“For us it’s now about positioning ourselves as the CDU in a stable manner, being clear and capable of acting and making it clear that it’s about the future of our city,” said the new parliamentary group leader, who is senator for finance and culture in the black-red Senate that is still in office.

“I have always emphasized that we are willing to talk to all parties in the middle of society,” he added. “The mood in both parties, the SPD and the Greens, is such that people want to talk to the left first,” said Evers. “We will monitor this and monitor it closely.”

Heiko Melzer was confirmed in his position as Parliamentary Managing Director. The CDU MPs nominated Cornelia Seibeld for the office of Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

The CDU lost significantly in the parliamentary election

In the election for the Berlin state parliament last Sunday, the CDU received 18.8 percent and was only the second strongest party behind the Left (25.7 percent).

In contrast, the CDU was by far the winner in the 2023 House of Representatives election with 28.2 percent. Accordingly, the CDU parliamentary group has shrunk significantly from 52 to 34 members. The previous parliamentary group leader Dirk Stettner did not make it back into parliament.

Three-party coalitions made up of the Left, the Greens (14.3 percent) and the SPD (12.1 percent) or the CDU, the Greens and the SPD are mathematically possible. The exploratory talks between the parties have not yet begun. The Left initially wants to discuss this at a party conference on Friday.

Open Questions

When will the exploratory talks between the parties begin?
Which coalition options will ultimately be pursued?
How will the CDU shape its opposition role?