Blackberries are currently on everyone’s lips – at least in the political arena of some federal states. But what does that actually mean and where does the term come from?
Blackberry season: In Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony, the dark fruits are currently very popular with politicians. The old fruit variety is usually harvested until October. In the political context, however, the harvest is likely to take place at the end of the year or even later.
For several weeks now, a possible alliance between the CDU, SPD and the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) coalition has been referred to as the “blackberry coalition”. It is still unclear whether such coalitions will actually be formed. But at least in Thuringia and Saxony, things are moving in the right direction. Exploratory talks have already been agreed in Thuringia. But there is still a lot of “gardening” to be done.
Until now, the media and party researchers have used countries and their flags to name a coalition. The Jamaica coalition stands for an alliance of the CDU, the Greens and the FDP. It was first mentioned in Germany in 2005. The first Kenya coalition of the CDU, the Greens and the SPD was formed in Saxony-Anhalt in 2016 and was imitated in Brandenburg and Saxony in 2019.
But in the case of the current constellation, the color spectrum of national flags has been exhausted. Since there is no country in the world that uses the colors black (for the CDU), red (for the SPD) and purple (for the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance) together in its flag, nature must now do the job.
Fruit shows the party colors during ripening
The blackberry is the name of the fruit because the fruit, at different stages of ripeness, displays the party colors of the possible coalition partners. The term “blackberry coalition” is attributed to the party researcher Karl-Rudolf Korte. The professor from the University of Duisburg-Essen used it in an essay with theses on the state elections in the east.
According to survey results, it was already expected at the time that the BSW would play an important role in the formation of governments in East German states. Where the Left once enjoyed the status of a popular party and even took on government responsibility, its decline opened up space for something new.
Fertilization is recommended on sandy soils
In fact, the BSW achieved double-digit results in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia and will inevitably be represented in the cabinet of the three states in the event of a majority government being sought. This is because the Union has ruled out alliances with the AfD. In Brandenburg, the BSW recently received 13.5 percent of the second votes, in Saxony and Thuringia the figures were 11.8 and 15.8 respectively.
In all three states, a continuation of the previous alliance is no longer possible. In Thuringia and Brandenburg, the Green coalition partner was lost because it did not even make it into the state parliament. In Saxony, the Greens are now too weak. In Brandenburg, the Greens are no longer in the state parliament, and the election winner, the SPD, is dependent on the BSW – because the CDU alone is not enough.
If you look up blackberries in the gardening guide, you will find a wealth of tips. Blackberries, which belong to the rose family, are relatively undemanding. On very sandy soils – such as in Brandenburg – some fertilization is recommended. Otherwise, the blackberry loves sun, and in any case the blackberry bush should be tended and cared for. Ultimately, this also applies to a coalition in which the partners have different views on many points.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
