The Left | The content fits

Can agree: Left party leader Elif Eralp (M.) and the Green party leaders Werner Graf and Bettina Jarasch (r.) in the House of Representatives. Photo: dpa/Sebastian Gollnow Successfully negotiating a coalition requires making compromises. But the Left, the Greens and the SPD would not have to break important election promises if they came together to form the new Berlin Senate - at least if you put their election programs side by side. The SPD did not rule out the socialization of large private housing stock, which was advocated by the Left and the Greens.

The issue is of course still a sticking point for possible coalition negotiations. On the one hand, Die Linke was so clearly on the side of the Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co initiative that it cannot give in on this issue. She would then lose her credibility and all trust shortly after her historic election victory on September 20th. On the other hand, SPD top candidate Steffen Krach has personally assured that there will be no expropriations with him. But one could say: Then it just happens without him. There are enough Social Democrats who see things differently than he does.

Otherwise, when comparing the three election programs, there is no real obstacle to a red-red-green coalition. The parties already agree on many points. In some respects, the proposed solutions differ only in minor details. And with an expressway through Wuhlheide promised by the SPD and strictly rejected by the Greens, it is unclear where the estimated 600 million euros for its construction will come from.

The SPD wants to protect the city against internal and external enemies and the Greens want a Berlin that is resistant to threats from within and without. It is obvious what they mean by this and that this is not compatible with a left that does not agree with rearmament and militarization. But there is no Senate Defense Department. Federal states do not make foreign policy. That's why even the supposedly only true peace party BSW 2024 in Brandenburg was able to enter into a coalition with the SPD without betraying its ideals.

Red-Green-Red is possible if all three parties are serious about their election programs - and their voters. All of the obstacles that have now been put forward can safely be chalked up to coalition poker. It's about driving up the price of cooperation and enforcing as many of your own wishes as possible. They themselves will not believe that the Greens would achieve more together with the CDU. If the SPD thinks that it would be better off with the CDU, then it is mistaken.

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