Hamburg's Government Formation in Limbo: SPD Decision on Coalition Partner Pending
- SPD's Anticipated Coalition Decision
Hang tight, folks, as the wait for Hamburg's next government continues! It's been three weeks since the parliamentary elections, but the decision on the coalition's makeup still remains elusive. Following the conclusion of exploratory talks with the Greens and CDU, it's up to the SPD to decide whom to engage in coalition negotiations. The tense meeting of the state executive may take place as early as this weekend.
Initially, we were anticipating a decision from the state executive by Thursday or Friday, but schedules took over, and the meeting was delayed—at least virtually. Sources from the Kurt-Schumacher-House cited scheduling as the reason for the delay, not content-based complications.
The SPD, the clear winner of the election despite some losses, now has the luxury to choose whether to team up with the Greens once more or partner with the CDU, who overtook the Greens as the second strongest force.
In a bid to commence coalition negotiations promptly, the elected officials should finalize their discussions in approximately four weeks. This timeline would allow Mayor Peter Tschentscher, if all goes smoothly, to be re-elected by the parliament during the first session in May.
Before the election, Tschentscher favored a continuation of the coalition with the Greens, yet he voiced hope that a stronger SPD in the Senate could seize additional responsibilities or even Senate posts.
As we move forward, the new parliament will convene next Wednesday with its 121 members. Ralf Niedmers, the longest-serving member at 57 years old, will open the first session for the CDU, despite not being the oldest.
The factions of SPD, CDU, Greens, Left, and AfD will gather for preparatory sessions on Monday. The SPD will confirm an interim executive, consisting of members from the last legislative period, led by Dirk Kienscherf, until the future Senate's composition is clear. The Greens will hold onto the reins of power with the previous executive.
The CDU has kept mum on personnel matters, as the SPD's coalition decision remains unclear. If the SPD chooses red-green, it's likely that the current faction chairman, Dennis Thering, will maintain his position.
The Left must shuffle their faction chairmanship due to the departures of Sabine Boeddinghaus and Cansu Özdemir. It's predicted that Heike Sudmann will take over the helm, with David Stoop by her side. Both have served as deputy faction leaders and held the position of Parliamentary Business Manager, so changes will be needed for this post as well.
The AfD faction is also in need of a reshuffle, as Alexander Wolf secured a spot in the federal election.
The re-election of Carola Veit as the President of the Parliament is a near certainty. The new factions will be officially established during the session on Wednesday, briefly interrupted for the election of the President of the Parliament. The SPD, as the strongest faction, has the right to suggest candidates for the presidency.
- The SPD, with the pending decision on their coalition partner, is anticipated to engage in coalition negotiations either with the Greens or the CDU, following the exploratory talks held recently in Hamburg.
- Despite initial expectations for the state executive meeting to occur by Thursday or Friday, the meeting could take place as early as this weekend, due to scheduling delays, not content-based complications.
- In Berlin, CDU has remained tight-lipped on personnel matters, likely waiting for the SPD's decision on their coalition partner before announcing any changes in their faction leadership.
