SPD, BSW finalise coalition deal in eastern German state of Brandenburg

By Oliver von Riegen, dpa I Wednesday, Nov.27, 2024

 

BRANDENBURG- Just over two months after elections in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) have finalized a coalition agreement.

The parties plan to present the agreement to the public on Wednesday, but dpa learned some details of the deal in advance.

Reducing layers of bureaucracy and digitizing government services are priorities in the deal. The parties are also in agreement on waiving childcare fees for low-income families.
Reading, writing and arithmetic are to be a focus in primary school, with in-person classroom teaching taking priority.

Incumbent SPD state Premier Dietmar Woidke will continue in office for another term under the deal, and in recent days Woidke worked out the final areas of disagreement with BSW state party leader Robert Crumbach.

In the exploratory paper, both sides have already agreed that they want to work towards a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine at national and EU level. Reference is made to the consequences of sanctions.

The BSW’s steadfast opposition to aid for Ukraine and scepticism about Germany’s membership in the NATO alliance were major stumbling blocks in the talks, as BSW leaders had demanded clear positions on those issues, even though state governments hold almost no power over foreign policy.

But because of the fractured results of the September elections, an alliance between the SPD and BSW has always presented the only realistic path to a majority.

That’s largely because no other party is willing to work with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Members from both parties will still need to sign off on the deal at state party conferences next month.

In the neighbouring state of Thuringia, election results there in September presented even fewer viable options.

An uncomfortable alliance between the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), the BSW and the SPD – which together will hold a bare majority in Thuringia’s state parliament – was presented on Friday.
In Brandenburg, the SPD and BSW are also in agreement on protecting hospitals in the state from closure.

Disagreements over a controversial national hospital reform package had caused problems in Woidke’s previous coalition with the Greens and the CDU.

The SPD and BSW agreed to increase the number of police officers in Brandenburg to a target of 9,000, and that the state should support all measures to prevent or limit irregular migration.

A BSW state lawmaker, Sven Hornauf, had previously jeopardized the talks by threatening not to vote for Woidke’s reappointment over the deployment of an advanced missile defence system at the Holzdorf military airbase.

Crumbach has since assured Woidke that there will still be enough support in the state parliament. The coalition has a two-vote majority, meaning Hornauf could still abstain or vote against Woidke.