The day after the false start of the CDU/SPD coalition in Berlin, the new Senate began its work. The new Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU), who was only elected on the third attempt, and the ten senators came on Friday morning for their first working session together. Then the state secretaries were sworn in. Transfers of office were to take place later in the Senate administrations.
In the afternoon, Wegner wanted to take part in a celebration of the German-Israeli Society to mark Israel’s 75th Independence Day in his new role.
On Thursday Wegner had only 71 votes in the first ballot received, 15 fewer than the 86 seats of the CDU and SPD. In the second round there were 79 votes. In the end, Wegner finally got 86 votes. In the SPD there is great resistance to the coalitionbut not everyone is happy in the CDU either.
More promptly on Friday in the SPD Criticism of leaders around the state chairwoman and retired governing mayor Frances Giffey loud. “It’s time to take political responsibility,” said Lars Rauchfuss, MP and district chairman, to RBB Inforadio. The SPD must work up two electoral slippers. In addition, a “coalition of executives” has now been agreed, which is “not really wanted” on both sides of the parties. The resistance is greater than expected. Certainly no votes also came from the CDU, said Rauchfuss.
New building senator Gaebler assumes internal discussions
The new urban development and building senator Christian Gaebler (SPD) also emphasized: “I think there will be internal discussions again.” In just four weeks, on May 26th, the divided Berlin SPD will have a party conference. There will certainly be “clarification” again, said Gaebler.
Wegner had said to the “Tagesspiegel”: “I wanted to be elected on the first ballot. But honestly expected the second. But I haven’t ruled out the possibility of a third one either.” “There were individual talks with colleagues from the CDU and SPD, where there were suspicions.” On the question of how many CDU MPs were suspected of voting no, Wegner said: “Too many, I think.”
Nine AfD MPs want to have voted for Wegner
After the election, the AfD announced that around half of its 17 MPs would have voted for Wegner in the end. When the German Press Agency asked a large part of the parliamentary group, nine AfD MPs said by email that they had voted for Wegner. There was speculation that the new prime minister might have depended on party support. The Greens and the Left reacted with outrage.
Wegner told RBB: “I believe that the AfD wants to create chaos here.” The general secretary of the federal CDU, the Berlin member of the Bundestag Mario Czaja, described the actions of the AfD as a “transparent maneuver” on “Welt TV” in order to divide and sow resentment. (dpa)
