By Jan Schilde
Only in the third ballot was Kai Wegner (50, CDU) elected mayor of Berlin. This GroKo start raises a few questions. A comment from BZ editor-in-chief Jan Schilde.
Berlin has never experienced such a thriller in the election of the Governing Mayor. Only in the third ballot did Kai Wegner make it into the Rotes Rathaus. Not a good omen for the new Senate, which is already having a difficult time. Because he has to get started right away and deliver quickly.
There are only a good three years left until the next House of Representatives elections. And it is precisely the delivery that becomes difficult if the members of parliament do not stand behind the government, if important decisions are possibly delayed or even prevented as a result.
The new Senate is already damaged before it even took office. The fact that the far-right AfD can also claim that they helped ensure Wegner’s election does him further damage. It shouldn’t have come to that.
The SPD parliamentary group is initially responsible for the disaster. Twice MPs let the now governing body fail. Of course, every MP can make their own decision, even contrary to normal parliamentary practice.
But every Member of Parliament should also be aware of his or her responsibilities. In a democratic process, this also includes supporting decisions that you personally do not like.
The SPD leadership bears the special political responsibility for the tormented election. First and foremost Raed Saleh, who should have ensured the majority at least in the second ballot. Who promised full-bodiedly that there would be no problems.
He must take responsibility for this and resign as party leader and parliamentary group leader. Under his leadership, the faction would remain unstable and with it the black-red coalition as a whole.
The split in the SPD has been visible for a long time. The botched election only shows the full extent. The party is down, a heap of shards with the smallest particles. And no one in sight who can put this back together. In any case, Franziska Giffey will not succeed.
Berlin should function again, the new governor had promised before the election. With this shaky coalition, it will be extraordinarily difficult to live up to expectations.