SPD and Greens back coalition talks in Berlin
The parties want to negotiate with Die Linke on a joint state government.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
The SPD and the Greens in Berlin have agreed to formal coalition talks with Die Linke. This brings a left-wing government in the German capital a step closer, although negotiations have yet to begin.
The three parties previously reached agreement on the broad outlines of their cooperation. The executive committees of the SPD and the Greens agreed on Monday to open formal negotiations.
The joint exploratory document includes plans for housing and for tackling large private landlords. What agreements will be reached with Die Linke on these issues will emerge from the negotiations.
The talks offer no guarantee of a joint government. The parties must agree on policy, finances and the allocation of ministerial portfolios. Party conferences or other party bodies must also approve the final agreements.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged the SPD and the Greens to break off the talks with Die Linke. Critics within the SPD fear that cooperation with Die Linke will move the party further away from the political centre nationwide.
For Berlin, the decision mainly means that an alternative to a coalition of the CDU, SPD and Greens is now being seriously explored. It is not yet clear whether the three parties will ultimately conclude a coalition agreement.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The SPD and the Greens in Berlin have agreed to coalition talks with Die Linke.
- The parties previously drew up an exploratory document containing, among other things, plans on housing and public services.
- There is no final coalition agreement yet.
- Friedrich Merz has spoken out against this cooperation.
Left
Arguments A left-wing coalition can treat housing and public services more strongly as a public responsibility and take a tougher approach to large landlords.
Values Affordability, social equality and government control over essential services.
Consequences Supporters expect greater protection for tenants; they are particularly concerned that a centre-right coalition would not tackle the housing crisis sufficiently.
Centre
Arguments The coalition should primarily be judged on an implementable financial and administrative programme, regardless of party labels.
Values Administrative stability, feasibility and continuity of public services.
Consequences A compromise could keep the city governable, but sharp election promises on housing policy could be watered down.
Right
Arguments Cooperation with Die Linke could lead to greater government intervention and uncertainty for homeowners and investors.
Values Property, legal certainty, market forces and budgetary discipline.
Consequences Critics fear lower investment and an unstable government; they see a coalition with the CDU as a more predictable alternative.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The factual description of the decision and the political positions is consistent with Tagesschau and Deutschlandfunk. The text clearly distinguishes between exploration and actually governing.
- confirmed The SPD and Greens in Berlin support coalition talks with Die Linke. — Confirmed by Tagesschau and Deutschlandfunk. source
- confirmed The joint document contains plans on housing and large private landlords. — Mentioned in Tagesschau's earlier report on the exploratory talks. source
- confirmed Friedrich Merz called on the SPD and Greens to end the talks. — This was reported in coverage of the political reaction. source
- confirmed The three parties do not yet have a coalition agreement. — The sources refer to coalition negotiations, not to a concluded agreement. source
Editor's note
The agreement to hold coalition talks and the main policy lines have been confirmed. No coalition agreement exists yet.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „berlijn spd”
- de Volkskrant — „berlijn spd”
- RTL Nieuws — „berlijn spd”