The Berlin SPD executive board has endorsed the plan to enter into coalition discussions with both the Greens and the Left Party. According to reports from Der Tagesspiegel, 26 board members voted in favor on Monday evening, with three dissenting votes. Attendees noted that the preliminary exploration paper was overwhelmingly viewed positively during the preceding discussion.
Meanwhile, the Berlin Greens are scheduled to hold a small party conference this evening to decide on moving forward with coalition negotiations. Greens faction chief Werner Graf anticipates his party’s approval, stating on Monday morning to RBB that he would recommend the talks. The Left Party plans to hold a party meeting on October 31st to vote on inviting the Greens and the SPD to coalition talks.
The three potential partners concluded their preliminary discussions over the weekend and presented a joint exploratory paper intended to form the basis of the full negotiations. Among the agreements reached were the socialization (public ownership) of housing companies with over 10,000 dwellings, the expansion of bicycle lanes, and a reduced-cost public transport ticket.
Should the three-party coalition materialize, it would command 91 seats in the new Berlin House of Representatives, providing 14 more seats than the absolute majority. Another possible configuration is a coalition between the CDU, the Greens, and the SPD, although that partnership would only hold two seats over the absolute majority.
