According to the German correspondent Derk Marseille, the CDU never had a chance during the coalition negotiations in Berlin because the SPD and the Greens kept close. So now it’s about to end. Current SPD mayor Franziska Giffey is eligible to hold a ministerial position in city government in the new coalition. “Many see it as a defeat, but Giffey says it was ultimately just the voter’s wish and she opts for stability.”
The large Berlin suburbs, lifelong supporters of left-wing parties, voted en masse for the CDU. “And that ultimately leads to very surprising coalition negotiations,” says Marseille. With their heels over the edge, SPD members voted for a coalition with the CDU.
“It’s a marriage of convenience, in the end this is what they think is best for the city”
“It’s a marriage of convenience, ultimately that’s what they think is best for the city. They don’t negotiate for very long either. It was just an exchange of points that we both like to have,’ explains Derk Marseille. However, Berlin will look different under the new government. In recent years the city has invested heavily in cycle lanes, which is ‘an abomination’ for the Cdu, ‘they want a wider path for the car’.
On the other hand, it is a party that wants to invest much more in infrastructure and education. “Many gymnasiums and schools are neglected, according to the right-wing party, this should be the goal,” says Marseille.
The CDU will also examine whether they can bid for the 2036 Olympic Games, which would then be a hundred years after the previous Games in Berlin. ‘Olaf Scholz screwed up first as mayor of Hamburg, which cost tens of millions of euros at the time. That’s why Berlin is also asking how much all this should cost,’ says Marseille.