Formation of government in Thuringia: Thuringian blackberry coalition on the brink – reflection period ends

The search for a compromise on the peace policy demands of BSW boss Sahra Wagenknecht has so far been unsuccessful – now the blackberry coalition project in Thuringia is in jeopardy. Over the weekend, the leaders of the CDU, BSW and SPD gave themselves time to think about it. It should end on Monday or Tuesday with the resumption of talks, negotiating circles said on Sunday. “The chances are 50:50,” said one of the negotiators to the German Press Agency. And: “The door isn’t closed.” A new compromise proposal would be attempted.

The Thuringian co-chairman of the Wagenknecht party, Steffen Schütz, told the dpa, “Of course it is difficult, but it is about Thuringia. I am confident that we will find a solution.” More than a week ago, the Thuringian BSW board and especially Wagenknecht made the agreement on a peace formula for the preamble of a possible coalition agreement a condition for the start of coalition negotiations in Erfurt.

Little hope from the SPD – more from the BSW

SPD leader Georg Maier told the dpa that in view of the dispute over a peace clause, he sees little chance of starting coalition negotiations with the Wagenknecht party in Thuringia. “I have little hope that we’ll get together anymore.” He accused BSW chairwoman Wagenknecht of interfering in the actually constructive discussions in Thuringia with new demands. “It’s not possible for there to be some kind of final authority that intervenes. That’s not how coalitions work.” Maier pointed out that Wagenknecht has only had opposition experience as a politician.

The BSW state chief rejected Maier’s accusation that Wagenknecht was torpedoing a compromise in Thuringia. “It’s about what we stand for in our word to our voters. We don’t want to enforce anything with brute force. Ultimately, there has to be a compromise that enables a stable government. That is our goal,” said Schütz.

According to him, there are two draft texts for the peace passage in the preamble, one by him and one by CDU leader Marion Voigt. “There’s a lot in there that unites.” There is still no agreement on some passages. “I don’t have the feeling that it’s all right.” CDU and SPD circles said that the crux of the matter was Berlin’s maximum foreign policy demands on the issues of missile stationing and arms deliveries, which should be included in a federal state’s coalition agreement.

In Thuringia everyone is aware of the great responsibility, said CDU parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt to the dpa. “However, we have already come a little further. We agree that we should take into account people’s legitimate concerns when it comes to peace. But there are very different basic beliefs and perspectives that have to be reconciled. We should now focus on concentrate our work and tasks here in the country,” emphasized Voigt.

Hardly any alternatives to the blackberry coalition

The only alternative to a coalition of the CDU, BSW and SPD – for which there have already been successful exploratory talks – is a minority government of the CDU, possibly with the SPD. However, together they would only have 29 of 88 seats in parliament. She would have to work in some way not only with the Wagenknecht party, but also with the Left in order to get a majority for decisions in parliament. The AfD is the strongest faction in the Thuringian state parliament – for the first time nationwide.

According to the former general secretary of the federal CDU, Mario Czaja, the CDU’s decision to be incompatible with the Left is now taking revenge in Thuringia. “It is a big mistake not to talk to the government-experienced and more moderate left, Bodo Ramelow’s Left Party, and instead to negotiate with the person whose communist platform on the left was observed by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the past,” said the Bundestag member Editorial Network Germany (RND). However, the CDU, Left and SPD only have 41 seats – four were missing from the majority – as many as Ramelow’s red-red-green government.

Maier for pointing out differences

“In essence, all options are already on the table,” said one of the participants in the negotiations to the dpa. In Thuringia there is actually an understanding despite the problems of reconciling the positions of the three different parties. The CDU and SPD committees had already approved a proposal that was rejected by the BSW leadership on Friday.

Wagenknecht, but also the Thuringian BSW board, are, among other things, calling for more diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine instead of arms deliveries. Thuringia’s SPD chairman can imagine that a preamble to a Thuringian coalition agreement between the CDU, BSW and SPD would include the different positions of the parties involved on arms deliveries and stationing, as well as the statement that all three parties are in favor of more intensive diplomatic efforts for peace in Ukraine. Maier emphasized that it was out of the question for the SPD to stop supporting Ukraine.

In Saxony and Brandenburg, the CDU and SPD are also negotiating with the BSW about government options. Things have also been bumpy recently in Saxony, where there is also a blackberry coalition with three partners.