Further explorations in two three-way formats: The decision puts Franziska Giffey in a quandary – Berlin

Throughout Friday, one committee meeting chased the other at the Berlin SPD and the Greens in order to find a joint partner for the upcoming three-way explorations. That didn’t work out. The SPD top candidate Franziska Giffey could not prevail against the SPD left and the Greens: She would have liked to continue exploring with the FDP and ignoring the left.

The SPD is now negotiating with the Greens and FDP on Monday, and on Tuesday the SPD, Greens and Left will sit in a round of three. The situation is not easy and it is sure to be more difficult because the left is far from enthusiastic.

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The decision to negotiate with two partners in a row will put Giffey in a bind. She led the election campaign with a clear bourgeois-liberal claim and left no doubt that she would like a more consistent, tougher domestic policy.

And she also made it clear on Friday that she saw her priorities – housing construction and a stronger economy – better in a coalition with the Greens and the FDP.

Should Giffey nevertheless opt for a traffic light against the wish of the party left for red-green-red, she could probably even enforce this in the state board or in a member decision. But the interference from the left Social Democrats would make life as governing mayor difficult for her, both in the parliamentary group and in the party.

[Lesen Sie auch: Berliner SPD und Grüne sprechen sowohl mit FDP als auch mit Linken (T+)]

As the second largest coalition partner, the Greens clearly prefer red-green-red. In doing so, they keep party peace in the traditional left-wing national association. In order to convince the party left of coalition talks with the FDP, the party leadership would have to do an enormous amount of persuasion.

The green negotiators would have to develop joint projects that they would have to attract the left wing. Top candidate Bettina Jarasch has already said that there are long ways to go with the FDP. Because the Berlin Greens fear the liberals like the devil fear holy water.

Berlin does not need a government where arguments are the order of the day

In view of the preferences of the SPD and the Greens, can the exploratory rounds still be open-ended? Both parties should have the right to seriously sound out with both liberals and leftists where there is more common ground in order to form a stable government for the next five years.

The tasks in the capital are immense, and the city’s financial situation is so bad that its reserves will be used up in 2024. What Berlin doesn’t need is a government in which controversy and political resentment are the order of the day.