Thursday 2, March
On Thursday, there were 598 new Covid-19 infections reported in Berlin. The seven-day incidence currently stands at 77.3 cases per 100,000 people.
Berlin’s new government to be black and red?
It seems increasingly likely that Berlin’s new government will be an alliance between the SPD and the CDU, albeit with the Social Democrats taking the junior position. This would disband the current red-red-green coalition and send Die Linke and the Greens into opposition.
“We have said very clearly: no expropriation”
If the so-called “big coalition” between the SPD and CDU is formed, it would mean Franziska Giffey giving up her post as mayor and taking up a senatorial post. On Wednesday evening, the soon-to-be former mayor made it clear that she thinks there is more common ground with the conservative Christian Democrats than with her former coalition partners of Die Linke and the Greens. Critical issues for the new partnership were the continuation of the €29 ticket, as well as their mutual agreement not to proceed with Berlin’s referendum to expropriate major landlords. “We have said very clearly: no expropriation,” Giffey commented on Wednesday evening.
The decision will have to be finalised by a vote of SPD members, but the leadership of both the SPD and CDU are clearly in favour of this option which would see Kai Wegner, lead candidate for the CDU, become Berlin’s next mayor.
