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Franziska Giffey (SPD) is still governing as mayor in Berlin – but that could soon be over
Photo: Wolfgang Kumm / dpa
The SPD in Berlin no longer wants to govern with the Greens and the Left.
Franziska Giffey's announcement that she wanted to negotiate a coalition alliance with the CDU surprised many.
For the SPD state chairman, a coalition with the CDU is the better alternative - which, however, harbors risks.
"The likelihood that we'll be even worse off in the next election because people say they'll just keep going - that's a big risk," said the incumbent mayor, Giffey, in an interview with the dpa news agency.
However, there was also the possibility that the Greens would have formed a coalition with the CDU.
From Giffey's point of view, this would be "the worst position for the SPD if we watch the black-green government in the opposition."
The SPD state executive decided on Wednesday to start coalition negotiations with the CDU, and the CDU state executive voted unanimously for such talks on Thursday.
On the part of the SPD, however, the decision is controversial.
A member vote should ultimately approve it.
Giffey said: "We have members who are now very strongly opposed to such an alliance and are also very loud." But there is also a lot of feedback from the party who praise the step as "right and courageous".
"This is my dream job"
In the repeat election on February 12, the SPD ended up with 18.4 percent of the votes well behind the election winner CDU (28.4 percent) and would only be a junior partner in a new edition of the grand coalition in Berlin.
Franziska Giffey is expected to leave office in favor of CDU top candidate Kai Wegner.
This is not easy for her, she said.
»I absolutely arrived at the Rotes Rathaus, that's my dream job«.
You have also received a lot of support, the colleagues in the town hall are very committed.
»And that makes it difficult to give up the office of Governing Mayor.«
Nevertheless, it is important to prove that even a black-red alliance is a progressive coalition in terms of social justice, climate protection and economic development.
"This alliance must stand for innovation, drive, pragmatism and solution orientation and, above all, for closeness to the people," said Giffey.
muk/dpa