Left, Greens and SPD announce breakthrough in exploratory talks in Berlin

Four weeks after the elections to the Berlin House of Representatives, the Left, the Greens and the SPD have successfully concluded their exploratory talks. If the party bodies agree, coalition negotiations can begin. The left, the Greens and the SPD have taken an important step forward in the formation of a government in Berlin. Four weeks after the elections to the Berlin House of Representatives, they successfully concluded their exploratory talks. The party bodies will now be proposed the start of coalition negotiations, informed the negotiators of the parties at a joint press conference. "We had good and intensive discussions," said the top-left candidate and possible future governing mayor Elif Eralp. The Greens want to vote on the start of coalition negotiations at a small party congress on Monday. At the SPD, the state board also decides on Monday on the basis of the exploratory paper. Because of the two-week autumn holidays in Berlin, the left has only scheduled a party congress on 31 October to decide on this. If all three parties agree, coalition negotiations could begin in early November. Socialization of housing companies agreed The joint exploratory paper shows, among other things, that the Left, Greens and SPD are planning a socialization of large private housing stocks. Accordingly, private housing groups from a stock of 10,000 apartments in Berlin are to be expropriated in this way against compensation. They are likely to keep a basic stock of 10,000 apartments - a socialization would only take effect at the other apartments in their possession. "This will deprive Berlin of about 160,000 apartments from the market logic," said Eralp. There is a "rental crisis", this is currently "the social question" in the city. Left, Green and SPD have agreed among other things on a "very ambitious new construction program" for apartments and a rent cap for state-owned apartments, so Eralp. Agreement on dealing with anti-Semitism The soundings were launched last week on Thursday. Earlier, the three parties had reached an agreement on how they would deal with anti-Semitic incidents in the ranks of the left in the event of a coalition. They jointly declared their commitment to the protection of Jewish life, Israel’s right to exist and a two-state solution that would enable both Israel’s security and the self-determination of the Palestinians. In addition, sanctions up to the exclusion of groups are envisaged. Against the background of several incidents on the left, the Greens and the SPD had made this understanding a prerequisite for the start of soundings. In the exploratory talks themselves, the topic of anti-Semitism also caused irritation and even a temporary interruption of the talks. Because the left had all its group members sign a text that corresponded only in parts to the previous agreement of all three parties on the subject. The Greens and the SPD criticized this. Now it is clear: the joint text should become part of the coalition agreement, if it comes to this. To make matters worse, the Left Party leadership had to deal with how it deals with Neukölln MP Vanessa Emde, who in the past was repeatedly struck by controversial statements critical of Israel. On Thursday evening, Emde had sharply criticized the faction statement on anti-Semitism on Instagram, which she herself had signed on Tuesday. From the point of view of the group leaders, there is no longer any basis for cooperation - next week a discussion on this with Emde is planned. It is possible that she will be excluded from the Left Group. Such a move, in turn, is likely to lead to fierce internal party debates in the Berlin left. Because solidarity with the Palestinians, combined with strong accusations against Israel, was at least in some parts of Berlin an essential element of the ultimately very successful election campaign of the left. CDU sharply criticizes exploratory paper in the Berlin election on the 20. In September, the left had become the strongest force with 25.7 percent. This was followed by the CDU (18.8 percent), AfD (16.3 percent), Greens (14.3 percent) and – with their historically worst result – the SPD (12.1 percent). The ruling CDU/SPD coalition lost its majority. The three-way coalition of the Left, Greens and SPD would have 91 seats in the new Berlin House of Deputies, which would be 14 more than the absolute majority. A coalition of the CDU, the Greens and the SPD would also be possible, whose mandate number, however, would be only two seats above the absolute majority. CDU parliamentary group leader Stefan Evers had recently stated several times that he was ready for talks on an alliance with the Greens and SPD. He now responded to the red-green-red exploratory paper with sharp criticism. “The exploratory paper is above all one thing: a declaration of capitulation by the SPD and the Greens in front of a radical, partly anti-Semitic left party,” Evers explained. Signed despite the nationwide resistance in their own ranks. A dam break that shifts the political coordinate system in Germany in favor of the extremes. Merz warns against coalition with left Chancellor Friedrich Merz also warned the SPD and the Greens once again urgently against cooperation with the left in Berlin. "Whoever wants to strengthen the political centre, must not hold talks with left-wing radicals," said the CDU leader at the "Germany Day" of the Young Union in Bonn. "Stop going this way." The Union will fight against the left, said Merz. “We stand up against anyone who questions Israel’s right to exist.” Anti-Semitism has no place in Germany.