Franziska Giffey promises more security for Berlin. Half of the New Year’s Eve procedures were discontinued, as reported by Lanz. The moderator suspects: Does Giffey want to ensure order throughout Germany?
When a head of government relinquishes power, it raises questions. “That’s an unusual step,” said Berlin’s still incumbent mayor, Franziska Giffey (SPD), on Thursday evening at “Markus Lanz”. “So selfless? We’re still talking about politics,” said the moderator suspiciously. Giffey also acknowledged a clear power-political move. Lanz suspected that it could even transport the social democrat to a completely different political Berlin.
The guests
- Franziska Giffey (SPD), Berlin’s Governing Mayor
- Michael Bröcker, Editor-in-Chief of “The Pioneer”
- Christine Lemaitre, civil engineer
- Fabienne Hoelzel, urban planner
“Of course, this is not an easy step,” Giffey commented on her decision to join a grand coalition under CDU Mayor Kai Wegner. “It’s not about a love marriage. It’s about responsibility for the city,” she explained. The soundings had shown “that we can do pragmatic, solution-oriented politics better with the CDU than was previously the case. It needs change, renewal”.
“Lanz”: Giffey wants to make a name for himself with the CDU
She was also looking for a partner who “can open up perspectives for her own profiling – and the SPD is the social force in the city,” Giffey admitted openly to “Markus Lanz”. Michael Bröcker from “The Pioneer” suspected: Giffey would take a step back in order to have the prospect of the post of governing mayor again in three years. Giffey underlined that she had to take account of the voters’ vote in the form of the “very bitter” defeat of the SPD in the repeat election: “Things cannot go on as they were.”
When asked about an alleged feud with the top candidate of the Greens, Bettina Jarasch, Giffey said: “We worked together professionally last year.” But she also spoke of a “partially bitter struggle” for leadership in the Red City Hall.
According to Giffey, traffic, safety and affordable housing were the issues with which she herself lost regular voters in her Neukölln district. “Of course it has to do with New Year’s Eve,” said Bröcker. Even people with a migration background “are fed up with the hooligans” who show no respect for authorities. This time, these angry voters would have checked the CDU instead of the SPD. Their demands: “There have to be penalties.”
New Year’s Eve: Half of the procedures are closed
How exactly is the status of the investigation after the attacks on rescue workers? Lanz asked Giffey. According to them, 40 procedures were started, 20 of which have now been discontinued. Some procedures are still ongoing, and penal orders have been imposed in some cases. “There is not a single verdict yet,” Bröcker clarified. “It’s difficult to get the evidence on a night like this,” Giffey said, turning to the moderator. “But it’s about evidence, Mr. Lanz, you can’t just arrest someone where you don’t have any evidence. That’s why the subject of evidence is so important, that’s why the subject of bodycams is so important.”
All of this should get better under the new grand coalition in Berlin. “We don’t have camera equipment everywhere in the police cars and fire engines. That has to change. That’s agreed in the coalition agreement,” Giffey promised. “The topic is important to you. So could you imagine becoming Federal Minister of the Interior?”
Giffey had rejected speculation that she would soon succeed her party colleague Nancy Faeser before the repeat election in February as “outrageous”. Now Giffey’s denials sounded a little less categorical with Lanz. “That’s not even up for debate at the moment,” she replied. Faeser wants to be elected Prime Minister of Hesse in the fall.
Merkel pays respect to Giffey
In Bröcker’s opinion, Giffey has created the best conditions to make a name for himself and the SPD in Berlin again. “It’s actually a left-wing alliance with a black mayor,” the journalist commented on the coalition agreement, which was heavily influenced by SPD issues, and the balanced number of senator posts. “How did you do that?” Lanz wanted to know from Giffey. She referred to the current party base vote on the coalition. The comrades should have been convinced that Black and Red would implement important social democratic issues. “That’s a good basis,” Giffey promised, referring to the coalition agreement.
Apparently former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) saw things similarly. She first sent a message to Giffey, followed by a phone call. Has Merkel congratulated the coalition agreement? Lanz wanted to know. “She commented with the word ‘chapeau,'” Giffey said. The Governing Mayor left open whether she will become Berlin’s building senator, as expected. “Mrs. Giffey, we were only invited because they said we could give you everything and you can do it,” joked civil engineer Christine Lemaitre of the German Sustainable Building Council.
