Eight weeks after the state election, the SPD, Left Party and Greens have cleared the way for a red-red-green coalition in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The SPD state party conference and the Greens’ state delegates’ conference approved the draft coalition agreement on Saturday. The three parties negotiated the 135-page document with the aim of governing the state together for the next five years.
The Left Party had already approved the agreement on Friday. The SPD delegates unanimously approved the agreement in Stralsund, with no abstentions. The Greens delegates passed the draft in Güstrow, with one abstention. At the Left Party’s state conference, seven delegates abstained.
According to the SPD, the coalition agreement is due to be signed at the Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald at 5:30 pm on Saturday afternoon. Negotiations on the draft began after the state election on 20 September and proceeded largely without public controversy. No disputes between the potential coalition partners became public.
In the state election, the SPD secured 35.5 per cent of the vote, while the Left Party received 6.5 per cent and the Greens 5.7 per cent. Speakers at both the Left Party conference and the Greens’ delegates’ conference insisted that their respective parties had succeeded in securing important issues in the coalition agreement despite the significant differences in their electoral strength.
On Monday, Minister-President Manuela Schwesig (SPD) is due to stand for re-election in the state parliament. In addition to Schwesig, the new cabinet is expected to comprise nine ministers. The SPD will hold six ministerial posts, the Left Party two and the Greens one.
The red-red-green governing coalition will have a total of 39 seats in the state parliament: 32 for the SPD, five for the Left Party and five for the Greens.
The AfD, with 32 seats, will be the only opposition party in parliament. In her speech at the SPD state party conference, Schwesig ruled out any cooperation with the AfD in parliament unless the party clearly distances itself from right-wing extremism. Nevertheless, she said the SPD would seek to reach out to AfD voters.
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newsletter keeps you informed & engaged.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
