Who will move into Berlin's Red Town Hall?: Humility instead of noise

Steffen Krach is not to be envied. With 12 percent, the SPD's top candidate achieved its worst result ever in the Berlin election. “This is a catastrophic result,” admitted Krach at the SPD’s election party in the Astra Club in Friedrichshain. “We were voted out by the people of Berlin.”

Krach left it open shortly after the first forecast was announced. “On an evening like this it’s too early to talk about the future.” Instead, the SPD man sent congratulations to the election winner Elif Eralp from the Left Party. “I would like to congratulate those who won the election.”

The SPD in Berlin had actually prepared itself to tip the scales after the election. To inflate the price that would come to her as kingmaker. Elif Eralp in the Red Town Hall or Stefan Evers from the CDU? Left alliance or Kenya coalition? Krach would have liked to keep this open for a while. But does the SPD really still matter after election evening?

According to ZDF's first projections, the Left won the election by a landslide with almost 26 percent. Together with the CDU, which only has 20 percent, a Kenya coalition would only have one seat above the absolute majority of 66 seats. A left-wing alliance, on the other hand, would have a comfortable 76 seats.

Nevertheless, in the coming days and weeks, what will be most important is the small print. And the red lines that have already been drawn here and there. At least the SPD of the election loser Krach is still involved a little.

While the Green top candidate Werner Graf had already spoken out in favor of a left-wing alliance during the election campaign, Krach had declared that there would be no corporatization of private housing companies with him. For the Left Party, socialization is again non-negotiable.

On election evening, Steffen Krach noticeably held back. “We don’t have a government mandate,” he said. At the same time, however, he claimed: “The SPD is coming back.”

This is probably one of the reasons why the explorations and coalition talks after the election could be more difficult than expected. The Left Party does not want to decide until next Friday at a party conference whether it will even enter into exploratory talks.

A novelty in the history of the Berlin Senate formation. After the committee meetings of the respective state boards on Monday, there will likely be a few days of radio silence in state political Berlin. At least officially.

And then? Scanning begins. The Left Party will invite the Greens and the SPD. At the same time, the Greens and SPD are also expected to speak to the CDU. Despite the large majority in favor of a Senate made up of the Left, the Greens and the SPD, a quick decision in favor of Kenya or the Left Alliance cannot be expected.

It is said that there is growing concern in the SPD that the Left Party, as the resounding election winner, will tighten its demands even further. A majority is considered safe for explorations. Nevertheless, there are also voices on the left who warn against leading an austerity Senate in light of the billion-dollar budget deficit. Then not only the question of socialization could become a breaking point, but also the question of how stable a red-green-red coalition would actually be.

But maybe things will turn out differently. It is quite possible that Steffen Krach will get a lot of wind in the face at the meeting of the SPD state executive committee on Monday. That he himself may not be able to take a stand on the question of socialization.

A left-wing alliance has become very likely after the Left Party's election victory. And with a possible entry of the BSW, it could even become the only possible coalition.