Report from Berlin: Heil Expresses Doubts about Red-Green-Red in Berlin

Can red-green-red work in Berlin? The SPD politician Heil and other SPD members of the Bundestag are skeptical. In the report from Berlin, Green leader Brantner mentions criteria that must be met for a stable government. In Berlin, the Greens and SPD want to decide on Monday whether they will hold coalition talks with the left. The three parties had announced on Saturday the agreement on an exploratory paper. A red-green-red alliance in the capital has become more likely. At the federal level, however, the parties are also hearing doubts about the ability of such a coalition to govern. SPD politician Hubertus Heil said in the report from Berlin: "I have considerable doubts whether the Berlin Left Party is willing and able to govern." As an example, the former Federal Minister of Labour mentioned public security. “I never understood why it should be particularly progressive or left-wing to weaken the police or the judiciary.” However, his skepticism refers Heil "specifically" to the Berlin left - in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern he sees "a completely different left party". Before taking responsibility, things in the capital must be clarified, so Heil. Specifically, he called "a clear line on anti-Semitism" and "a clear commitment to internal security in this city and a sensible policy". Only if this happens, coalitions are possible. SPD members of the Bundestag against negotiations With his skepticism, Heil is not alone in his party. In a joint statement, which is available to Der Spiegel, 20 SPD members of the Bundestag declare with regard to the Berlin left "significant doubts about the political reliability of this state association". They refer, among other things, to accusations of anti-Semitism against individual left-wing members and contacts into the clan milieu. The signatories emphasize the decision-making authority of the Berlin SPD state association. At the same time, however, they point to their "responsibility for the credibility of common social democratic principles". “This is why, under the current conditions, we are strongly opposed to the opening of coalition negotiations with the Berlin left,” they write. According to Spiegel, the initiators of the declaration are domestic policy spokesman Sebastian Fiedler and digital policy spokesman Johannes Schätzl. Brantner hopes for "authority" of Eralp Green leader Franziska Brantner formulated clear expectations of a possible red-green-red cooperation. She said in the Berlin report that the Berlin left has “obviously a problem with anti-Semitism, also with proximity to organized crime.” She referred to the Berlin Declaration of the three parties, "to exclude this". She stressed: "The expectation is now to all three that it must now be implemented accordingly consistently - otherwise it will not be a stable government." She hopes Elif Eralp has "the authority" to enforce it. Should the government fail, this would fall badly on all three parties, so Brantner. Heil and Brantner do not want to be equated with AfD On one point, Heil and Brantner agree: Comparing the left with the AfD – as some representatives of the Union do – the two federal politicians consider wrong. "This is not the same without minimizing the problems that are with the Left Party in Berlin," said the Green Chairman. Just yesterday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz had clearly demarcated himself at the Federal Congress of the Young Union – both from the AfD and from the left. In the direction of the SPD and the Greens in Berlin, he said: “Who wants to strengthen the political center, must not hold talks with left-wing radicals”. He added, “Stop walking this path.” Brantner sees Merz' comparison as an attempt to distract from "own challenges". As examples, she cited events in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt - but also "what is happening in Berlin, where a CDUer is obviously looking for an alliance with the AfD at district level". Merz had declared that the Union would fight against the left. The CSU leader Markus Söder also became similarly clear at the "Germany Day" of the Young Union: "If you talk about firewalls, then it rather to the left one," said the Bavarian Prime Minister. "With such forces, Germany must not be identified at the top."