CDU To Lead Berlin City Gov't w/SPD Following Re-Run Election

The city administration of the German capital Berlin will fall under the leadership of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for the first time since 2001 following the narrow approval of a 'grand coalition' by members of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) in the city. This follows the re-run election held on 12 Feb in which the CDU emerged as the largest single party. The previous 2021 vote was annulled due to voting irregularities.

• The previous left-wing 'red-red-green' coalition of the SPD, socialist Die Linke, and environmentalist Greens retained its majority in the election, but Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey pushed her SPD into taking the junior coalition position under the CDU. The 'grand coalition' was approved by 54.3% of SPD voting members.
• The February election came as a reputational blow not only to Berlin's SPD but to the national party and its figurehead Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The SPD trails the CDU at the national level by a 6-13% margin in April so far according to polls, and the loss of the dominant position in a city viewed as left-leaning could prove divisive within the SPD.
• The next federal election is not due until Oct 2025 at the latest, but the federal coalition (SPD, Greens, pro-business liberal FDP) has shown notable signs of stress in recent weeksand months. As such, there remains the low probability but high-impact risk of a breakdown of the coalition before the end of its term.