Enlarge image
What's next for Berlin's mayor, Franziska Giffey?
Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS
Despite the historically poor performance of the SPD in the elections in Berlin, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil continues to rely on Franziska Giffey as governing mayor.
Giffey should get the chance to "change things in Berlin" for more than a year, said Klingbeil on Monday at a public meeting in Erfurt.
Regarding the forthcoming formation of a government, he said it was an "exciting situation" that was now developing.
No matter which coalition comes, it must "really tackle it now."
And further: "I trust Franziska Giffey, but time will now show what the ideal constellation for Berlin is."
In Berlin, a lot of resentment about politics has accumulated.
"The CDU collected it well," said Klingbeil.
The Christian Democrats conducted a "pure protest election campaign" in Berlin - and were thus successful.
For the first time in more than twenty years, the SPD did not emerge as the strongest force in the parliamentary elections on Sunday.
The CDU was ahead with 28.2 percent, the Social Democrats came second with 18.4 percent - only around a hundred votes ahead of the Greens.
After the election, Giffey announced that despite the losses, he wanted to play a "leading role" in a future coalition.
Giffey's party colleagues took a more cautious tone, parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh spoke of a "protest election" with the CDU as the winner, the deputy state party leader Kian Niroomand called the result a "caesura" and: "It can't go on like this."
mgo/dpa