Start of the exploratory talks in Berlin: They want to talk – with each other instead of about each other

They want to talk to each other, not about each other - and about content: Over the course of the new week, the delegations from the Left, the Greens and the SPD will come together for the first time for exploratory talks to explore whether there could be a joint coalition.

It was only on Friday that a party conference gave the Left the green light to begin negotiations. Immediately after the party conference, the Green Party state chairmen Nina Stahr and Phimon Ghirmai said: “We are ready to start negotiations as soon as possible.”

The SPD followed suit on Saturday. The decision rested with the state board. He had unanimously decided to accept the “invitation extended by the Left Party to begin exploratory talks,” it said somewhat stiffly in a press release distributed by the SPD on Saturday evening.

The parties are sending their top staff to the explorations. The top candidate in the House of Representatives election, Elif Eralp, the party leaders Kerstin Wolter and Maximilian Schirmer, the parliamentary group leader Tobias Schulze and the former State Secretary for Housing, Wenke Christoph, are to explore for the Left. The Greens are sending their top duo from the election, Bettina Jarasch and Werner Graf, as well as the state chairmen Philmon Ghirmai and Nina Stahr.

The state and parliamentary group leader Steffen Krach, the co-party leader Derya Çağlar, the co-state leader Bettina König and up to two other state leaders or other members with expertise have been announced for the SPD. Only when things become concrete - later in the coalition negotiations - will working groups with specialist politicians be formed on specific policy areas.

In the days before the appointment for the explorations that were now beginning, there was a heated, nationwide discussion about the “ability to govern” of the Berlin election winner, which was riddled with allegations of anti-Semitism. Critics from the CDU, but also from the Greens and the SPD spoke out. Even if the disruption has subsided and you now sit down at the table, collaboration is far from over and done with.

On the one hand, the pressure is immense: The Left is entering the negotiations as the election winner, but also with far-reaching election promises. The Greens and the SPD, in turn, are under close observation by their respective federal leaders, who have recently shown skepticism about working with the Left because of the ongoing allegations of anti-Semitism.

On the other hand, explorations are far from being coalition negotiations. Here, the parties first clarify in a small group the fundamental question of whether they will govern together, and not how. And whether the SPD will enter into a coalition with the Left is completely open. The Greens are also likely to drive up the price of a government alliance.

Despite the overlap in content, there are at least three major controversial topics that are likely to be discussed in the coming days. There is of course the socialization of large housing companies - the central election promise of the Left, which could probably be made with the Greens. However, the SPD calls this a “red line”, wants to prevent the implementation of the 2021 referendum and unsuccessfully tried to win the favor of Berliners with their no to expropriation during the election campaign.

The Greens' core identity-forming themes are mobility and environmental and climate protection. The then Green Transport Senator Bettina Jarasch had particularly accelerated the transport transition - until the repeat election in 2023 brought an abrupt end to the red-green-red government coalition under the SPD leadership.

From the Greens' perspective, now there is another opportunity to get involved. But the Greens, SPD and Left do not always agree on the issues of cycle path expansion, traffic calming, parking spaces and local public transport. It's not necessarily about whether, but rather how: speed of change as well as questions about priorities - inner city, outskirts - and social compatibility.

After the disastrous election campaign, it is difficult to answer which issues are important to the SPD. The Social Democrats have failed to answer what they actually want to achieve - and not just what they want to prevent.

Party circles now say that the focus is on the economy and internal security. Controversial discussions are likely to arise, especially when it comes to domestic politics. While the SPD has occupied the interior ministry for ten years and is responsible for some far-reaching tightening of laws, the Greens, and even more so the Left, are traditionally critical of the security authorities.

The left, for example, is calling for the protection of the constitution to be abolished. The SPD, on the other hand, says that it cannot make cuts to the police force or even abolish the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Against this background, it is conceivable that the SPD will buy a face-saving compromise on the question of socialization with concessions in the area of ​​internal security.

In the end, as so often happens, almost everything depends on the question of money. The future coalition will inherit a dismal budget situation. The State Audit Office assumes an annual financing gap of around 5 billion euros for the years 2026 to 2029. Added to this are limited opportunities to take out loans, low reserves, rising interest rates and a weakening economy. The new government must also first pay 1.2 billion euros to state officials - the Federal Constitutional Court had ordered the additional payment.

Not good prospects for an alliance that wants to take up social and sustainable politics. There is a threat of cuts and difficult compromises.