Red-Green-Red | Expropriation, AfD ban, highway stop: What red-green-red wants

Vague title, concrete content: The Left, the Greens and the SPD decide on a lot of content unusually early on. Photo: dpa/Fabian Sommer The exploratory paper, which the Left, the Greens and the SPD negotiated for almost four weeks, comprises exactly 31 pages. That's an unusual amount. For comparison: When the CDU/CSU and the SPD ended their explorations at the federal level in March 2025, the coalition members signed an eleven-page paper. The fact that the size at the state level has now almost tripled is evidence that the parties paid strict attention to allowing each partner an appropriate amount of their own content in the paper. At the same time, the wealth of content fuels the hope that the coalition talks that will now follow could be concluded relatively quickly because key points of conflict have already been resolved.

Of course, the focus of the paper is urban development and rent policy - all three parties made this issue the focus of their election campaigns. The compromises that have now been reached have been widely received in the media: 150,000 apartments are to be socialized according to the will of the coalition partners, the “largest new building program since reunification” is to be launched and rent control is to punish rent usury.

But the red-green-red coalition has also set itself ambitious goals beyond housing policy. The Left Party in particular had declared war on littering in the city before the House of Representatives election. This can now be found in the exploratory paper: The BSR should carry out more patrols in particularly dirty neighborhoods. Parks and playgrounds in particular should be cleaned more frequently. Free bulky waste collection is to be tested in a pilot project. Up to now, old furniture has often been carelessly disposed of on the side of the road.

People without a German passport have so far been excluded from elections. The only exception are EU foreigners who are allowed to vote in local elections - including elections to district councils. That should change. “We are strongly committed to the introduction of active and passive voting rights at local and state level within the framework of our competences for all people after five years of residence in Germany,” can be read in the exploratory paper. However, as the wording suggests, this is a federal matter that Berlin can only influence through a Federal Council proposal. Chances of success: manageable.

The State of Berlin's own competences extend further when it comes to questions of residence law. Deportations, for example, are solely the responsibility of state authorities. What is noted in the exploratory paper should give many people hope: Berlin should become a “safe haven”. State reception programs will be set up and those that have been discontinued will be resumed. People from war and crisis areas could benefit from this.

And people who already live in Berlin and are threatened with deportation can also hope for mercy: "The coalition will fully exploit the possibilities for legalization, granting and extension of residence rights based on humanitarian aspects," says the exploratory paper. In addition, payment cards for refugees are to be abolished. The state anti-discrimination law (LADG) is to be reformed according to the wishes of the three parties. It would be possible, for example, for the LADG ombudsman office, where people can report if they feel discriminated against by the authorities, to be given more powers.

The paper bears a clear SPD signature in the domestic policy area. “We are continuing the ongoing training offensive and maintaining the existing police staffing levels,” says the exploratory paper. In its election manifesto, the Left Party called for Berlin's police force to be reduced to the number of personnel in other major cities. And the election winner has another thing to swallow: the existing knife and weapon ban zones should remain in place until at least 2028. There, police officers are allowed to search passers-by for no reason – a gateway for racist discrimination, according to critics. Existing video surveillance should also not be evaluated until 2028 at the earliest.

The SPD was also apparently able to prevail on many points when it came to the economy. The coalition partners are planning a “special program” against long-term unemployment and a commercial rent cap. At one point the exploratory paper is almost reminiscent of the FDP election program: "Where legally possible and objectively justifiable, reporting and documentation obligations are generally eliminated," you can read in the document. As part of a “bureaucracy TÜV” rules and regulations for companies should be checked regularly.

Another passage is likely to cause anger among the Left's base: The strength of the Berlin economy in "high and resilient technology" is to be further expanded. This includes, among other things, drones, autonomous systems and aerospace. What all of these economic sectors have in common is that they also produce for the defense industry.

With Expo 2035, the Social Democrats can look forward to another success. According to the exploratory paper, the application should be pursued further. Other major projects are also to be continued. The possible future Senate parties want to pursue the move of the state and central library to Alexanderplatz. The Jahnsportpark is also to be rebuilt as planned. The A100 motorway, however, should not be built any further - but that will be decided by the federal government. The Tempelhofer Feld should not be built on either.

According to the will of the explorers, more Berlin companies should pay according to the tariff. What is noticeable, however, is an ellipse: the Charité subsidiary CFM is not mentioned in the exploratory paper. During the election campaign, the Left Party demanded that the subsidiary of the Berlin University Medical Center for building maintenance and cleaning, where employees earn significantly less than the state-owned parent company, be reintegrated into the Charité.

The universities can hope overall with the exploratory paper: “We are committed to securing the range of courses and staffing at the universities,” it says. Black and red had put the red pencil on the universities. How this can be implemented is unclear. It is unlikely that the university contracts will be touched upon a third time within a year.

Apparently they want to make a new attempt at making academic employees permanent: “We want to improve the working conditions at the universities; “To do this, we are revising the Berlin University Act,” write the explorers. The Federal Constitutional Court had overturned a regulation that forced universities to employ postdoctoral researchers on a permanent basis. According to the will of the explorers, there should be fewer exams for students.

The paper remains noticeably vague when it comes to environmental and transport issues. The Greens, who were reportedly primarily concerned with reconciling the two quarrelsome parties, the Left and the SPD, were only able to accommodate a few genuinely original content. For example, no specific figure is given for the expansion of cycle paths. Local public transport is also only promised priority in the allocation of budget funds in vague terms.

The parties agree on another point: the AfD should be banned. A corresponding initiative should be taken in the Federal Council.

Other media have corporations or billionaires behind them. We have the nd.Genossenschaft and readers like you. That makes us independent and that’s exactly how we want to remain. But it also means: without you the calculation won't work. We need 300,000 euros by the end of the year.

You can donate directly here, one-time or regularly, so that nd stays.