Berlin’s government restart begins with a resignation. Franziska Giffey (SPD) has already submitted this for the office of Governing Mayor. For the CDU state chairman Kai Wegner, the way is clear to become Berlin’s new head of government.
After the CDU agreed to a joint, black-red coalition after the SPD on Monday evening, the step towards it is only a matter of form. But that too needs to be overcome. Because Wegner and his future Senate colleagues are not yet in office. Until then, there are still a few formalities ahead of them this week. The roadmap for forming a government at a glance.
It starts on Wednesday morning. The state chairmen of the CDU and SPD will then come together in the House of Representatives to officially sign the joint coalition agreement.
Wegner’s choice is likely – it’s not completely certain
Then it continues on Thursday afternoon in the House of Representatives. There, Kai Wegner is to be elected the new governing mayor. Even if Wegner’s choice is considered likely, it is not completely certain. Black-Red’s majority is tight. Both parties come together for 86 seats, 80 votes are at least necessary for the election.
It cannot be ruled out that Wegner will initially fail because one or the other Social Democrat could express his anger at the new alliance in the secret ballot and not give the CDU leader a vote in the first ballot. However, that would not be a novelty. After his first re-election in 2006, Klaus Wowereit (SPD) was only elected to office in the second ballot.
If Wegner finally gets a majority, he is sworn in as Governing Mayor by Parliament President Cornelia Seibeld (CDU) – and like his predecessors, he also says the oath “So help me God”.
For the Senate, it goes back and forth between Parliament and the Red City Hall
The new head of the Senate then goes straight to the Red City Hall. There, the outgoing red-green-red senators receive their certificates of dismissal before Wegner appoints the new Senate members from the CDU and SPD. This also applies to Iris Spranger (SPD). Although the social democrat remains interior senator, she still has to be reappointed.
The whole entourage then goes back to the House of Representatives, where the new senators are also sworn in under the watchful eye of Parliament President Seibeld. Then it’s time to head back through Mitte back to the Rotes Rathaus. This time for the constituent meeting of the new Senate.
Wegner and his Senate team will meet again in the Red City Hall on Friday morning. This time to appoint the new state secretaries by resolution. After the session, the senators drive to their new offices. There they will first bid farewell to the outgoing state secretaries.
After that, the actual day-to-day work for Berlin’s new government begins – because the Senate will meet again for its first regular meeting on Tuesday next week.
