Brandenburg: Coalition agreement between SPD and BSW is in place

The SPD and BSW have agreed on a joint coalition agreement in Brandenburg. According to information from the German Press Agency, the question of the majority in the prime minister election has also been clarified. “Bild” and “BZ” had previously reported on it.

The talks had stalled in the last few meters. BSW MP Sven Hornauf threatened not to vote for SPD Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke in the state parliament because of criticism of the federal government’s stationing of the Arrow 3 missile defense system at the Holzdorf air base.

The SPD of Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke and the BSW of state chairman Robert Crumbach previously cleared up the last points of contention. In the first week of December, party congresses of the SPD and BSW are scheduled to make a final decision on the contract.

This means that Woidke could be re-elected and sworn in as Prime Minister in the state parliament on December 11th. BSW MP Sven Hornauf had previously endangered the talks. He threatened not to vote for Woidke in the state parliament because of criticism of the federal government’s stationing of the Arrow 3 missile defense system at the Holzdorf air base. Crumbach has now assured his coalition partner that the majority is there – even if it is unclear how Hornauf will vote. The alliance would have a majority of two votes in the state parliament, without Hornauf it would only have a majority of one vote.

The SPD and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) have already announced that reducing bureaucracy and digitalization should be the focus of a joint coalition. It is also clear that they want to continue to relieve parents with lower incomes of daycare contributions.

Reading, writing and arithmetic should be a focus in primary schools; analogue teaching should have priority. Both parties oppose an increase in broadcasting fees.

In the exploratory paper, both sides already agreed that they wanted to work for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine war at the federal and EU levels. Reference is made to the consequences of sanctions.

The parties also agree on maintaining the hospital locations in Brandenburg. A dispute over hospital reform in the Federal Council last Friday led to the dismissal of the previous Green Party Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher by Woidke. The red-black-green coalition collapsed shortly before its end.

The target number of police stations is to increase to 9,000. Both parties previously agreed that Brandenburg would support all measures to contain, prevent and reject irregular migration.

Only a coalition of SPD and BSW has a realistic majority in the state parliament because no party wants to form a coalition with the AfD. In Thuringia, the CDU, BSW and SPD presented a coalition agreement on Friday.