At their first meeting for coalition negotiations, the CDU and SPD in Berlin agreed on a series of joint projects. This includes the modernization of the Berlin administration, more staff for the police and rescue services, pushing ahead with the school building offensive and strengthening public transport with a permanent 29-euro ticket. The umbrella group, the core team of negotiators, agreed on this on Thursday, as representatives of the two parties subsequently announced. We struggled to make Berlin even better, said CDU state chairman Kai Wegner. We will ensure that Berlin works everywhere.
The Governing Mayor and SPD State Chairwoman Franziska Giffey added that a lot of things could be built on that had already been prepared by Red-Green-Red, so that no time was lost. This applies not least to administrative reform. There is also agreement on the plans to purchase the Berlin district heating system, which Red-Green-Red had already pushed ahead with. Those are big key points that we agreed on today, Giffey said.
SPD co-chair Raed Saleh pointed out that the parties had agreed to stick to the state minimum wage. Saleh announced that both parties also want to explore in the state parliament what chances there are of lowering the voting age to 16. For this to happen, the state constitution would have to be amended by a two-thirds majority. Red-Green-Red had already won the FDP, which is no longer represented in the Berlin House of Representatives.
Both parties have recorded the results of the first meeting in a joint eight-page exploratory paper. The umbrella group wants to meet again on Wednesday, and 13 working groups will continue to negotiate specialist topics next Monday. The coalition agreement should be available in early April. In the case of the CDU, a party conference must then agree to this. A member vote is planned for the SPD.
