Coalition negotiations: SPD and BSW: Coalition agreement in Brandenburg is in place

Around two months after the state elections, the coalition agreement between the SPD and BSW in Brandenburg is in place. Both parties want to introduce him today. 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 focus of red-purple is less bureaucracy, digitalization, healthcare and peace.

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.

No to three AfD applications

According to information from the dpa, “Bild” and “BZ”, the SPD demanded that the BSW secure a majority – by voting no to three proposals from the AfD parliamentary group. This includes the AfD’s demand to work within the federal government and the EU for a quick diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine – also a BSW position. It is agreed in the coalition agreement that the SPD and BSW will generally vote against motions from the opposition.

BSW parliamentary group leader 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.

Less bureaucracy and more digitalization

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. The SPD and BSW point out that sanctions against Russia lead to high energy prices.

The SPD and BSW want to preserve clinic locations

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.