A Glimpse After 100 Days: The SPD-BSW Coalition in Brandenburg Under Scrutiny
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SPD's Rot-Lila has Reached One Hundred Days in Office - Accelerated Action Expected - SPD pushes for increased momentum as Red-Lila reaches her 100th day in office
For the past three months, the SPD-BSW coalition has been leading Brandenburg. On December 11, SPD Minister-President Dietmar Woidke, along with his ministers, took their oaths - with Agriculture Minister Hanka Mittelstaedt joining two days later. Though asserting a generally positive interim evaluation, opposition parties paint a drastically different picture.
Opposition's Critique: "Same Old Story" and a "Calamity"
The AfD faction leader Hans-Christoph Berndt bluntly calls the coalition "a spineless alignment of the status quo." He claims that the government has barely disclosed any pronouncements or concrete endeavors to tackle pressing issues in migration, economy, or health. Berndt predicts that "this SPD-BSW coalition won't survive the legislative period."
CDU faction leader Jan Redmann refrains from any assessment at the 100-day mark but diagnoses a "planning bankruptcy due to lack of ideas." He voiced concerns that "this coalition is a disaster - there's no sign of a new beginning or a new political style." The absence of a government declaration and a budget further contributes to his sentiments.
SPD: Stability, but Testy Moments
SPD head of government Woidke characterizes the cooperation in his Red-Blue coalition as "quiet and trusting," deviating from contrasting interactions in the federal-level traffic light coalition. According to him, the alliance with Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) has proven to be a "reliable partner."
SPD general secretary Kurt Fischer values the coalition's track but echoes a need for speeding up the process. In a conversation with the German Press Agency, he stated, "After a demanding election result, we promptly managed to set up a stable government coalition in Brandenburg with two starkly different parties." As BSW is a recent addition to the state, the first 100 days were focused on familiarization, trust-building, and discussions on the state budget.
"Despite some volatile moments, we've overall accomplished quite a lot," Fischer notes. He continued, "Moving ahead, it's essential to ramp up the execution of our ambitious projects from our coalition agreement."
BSW: Own Footprints
BSW faction leader Niels-Olaf Lüders largely agrees with a positive overall evaluation. He acknowledges that "a coalition naturally requires balancing each party's positions, but this partnership with the SPD is functioning well. The influence of the BSW can be witnessed in the coalition's actions."
The endeavors to implement measures regarding the storage of mobile devices in elementary schools, eliminating or reducing childcare fees for low-income families, and discussions concerning the potential revival of Russian oil supplies from the Druzhba pipeline after a peace in Ukraine are all testaments to BSW's impact.
Greens and The Left: Missing Initiatives
The new Green state chairman, Clemens Rostock, argues that the coalition has unofficially neglected climate protection and failed to respond adequately to urgent social questions like affordable housing, fair wages, and social security. He chides the coalition for giving prominence to right-wing populist perspectives in the state parliament due to a lack of initiatives.
The Left party state leader Sebastian Walter finds nothing admirable about the Red-Rose coalition: "No coalition has demonstrated such little productivity in the first 100 days as the SPD/BSW coalition," he laments. He points out that in Brandenburg, rents are surging faster than in Berlin, food prices are among the highest, and more than half of the hospitals face closure. He also voices criticism over the coalition's inaction on these issues.
Budget Awaits Approval
Among the coalition's current challenges is the preparation of the double budget for the present year and the subsequent one. The success of filling the gaps remains uncertain.
The SPD and BSW have established objectives for their legislative period: They aim to preserve all hospital locations, make kindergarten fees exempt for parents of older children, and boost the number of police officers. The inquiry commission intended for Corona has already begun its work.
Although Woidke has yet to present a government declaration, plans for one are underway. Furthermore, the stability of the alliance is a subject of debate. In February, BSW MP Sven Hornauf voted for an AfD motion despite opposition motions typically being rejected, causing debate. The upcoming vote on the billion-euro financial package in the Bundesrat also stirs controversy.
- SPD
- WDW: 100-Day Review
- Brandenburg
- Dietmar Woidke
- AfD
- Hans-Christoph Berndt
- CDU
- Jan Redmann
- Coalition
- Greens
- Clemens Rostock
- Left Party
- Sebastian Walter
- Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht
- Partners
Enrichment Data:
Overall:
There is no specific source for a "First Interim Assessment of SPD-BSW Coalition in Brandenburg." However, I can provide some broader context regarding the political scene involving the SPD and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in Germany.
Context and Background:
- SPD and BSW: The SPD is a major left-leaning party in Germany, while the BSW is a novel left-conservative party established by Sahra Wagenknecht. The BSW has garnered attention due to their anti-war stance on Ukraine and economic policies.
- Recent Elections: In recent state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, the AfD (Alternative for Germany) saw significant gains, while the BSW also performed well. The CDU (Christian Democratic Union) remains a considerable power but faces obstacles forming coalitions without the AfD[1].
- Coalition Dynamics: In Saxony, plans are underway for a coalition involving the CDU, BSW, and SPD. However, in Thuringia, creating a coalition without the AfD is more challenging due to the necessity of cooperation with Die Linke (The Left Party)[1].
Potential Achievements and Challenges:
Achievements:
- Economic Focus: Parties such as SPD and BSW may prioritize addressing economic challenges, potentially fostering common ground for collaboration.
- Anti-War Stance: BSW's stance against the war in Ukraine might align with certain factions within the SPD, opening doors for joint peace negotiations initiatives.
Challenges:
- Policy Differences: The SPD and BSW have contrasting ideological foundations, which could result in disagreements over policy implementation.
- Coalition Stability: Establishing and maintaining a stable coalition might prove challenging due to the diverse policy preferences of the participating parties.
- The Commission, in the context of the coalition's policy-making, might be asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation due to the coalition's focus on addressing health concerns.
- The dearth of partnerships between large coalitions, such as the SPD and BSW coalition in Brandenburg, and smaller parties like the BSW, could be likened to a political slumber, signifying a lacuna in diverse representation.
- Despite the volatile moments in the SPD-BSW coalition, the HDW (Hans-Dietmar Woidke) might face criticism for sleepwalking through certain policy matters, as opposition parties may argue that the coalition has yet to demonstrate substantial progress or concrete actions towards addressing pressing issues, such as migrant welfare or the economy.
