Status: 13.10.2022 5:25 p.m
SPD and Greens in Lower Saxony want to start coalition negotiations on October 26th. Both top candidates announced this today after initial consultations between their parties.
“We have the same view of the situation in which we have to form this government,” said Stephan Weil (SPD) after the deliberations. There is great uncertainty because of the Ukraine war, the energy supply, energy prices and the pandemic, which is far from over. Above all is climate change, which does not take a break, said Weil. “We will make every effort to reach agreements on this basis over the next few days and weeks that really address the essential issues.” The aim of both parties is to elect the new state government at the constitutive session of the state parliament on November 8th.
Coalition negotiations are scheduled to end on November 3rd
The coalition negotiations should be completed on November 3rd and presented to the public, announced Weil. On the following weekend, the SPD and Green party conferences are supposed to give their approval. “That assumes that we work very quickly,” emphasized Weil. Despite the tight schedule, Weil spoke of a promising start. Julia Willie Hamburg (Greens) was also satisfied with the first interview. It was found that both parties were “very willing” to master the current crises and to offer the people in the country security. “In this sense, we will negotiate very trustingly, seriously and quickly with each other so that we can start working together from November,” said Hamburg.
Agreement on the subject of relief in the energy crisis
In addition to Stephan Weil, the current Minister of Health Daniela Behrens, the member of the state parliament Hanna Naber, the member of the Bundestag Falko Mohrs and state manager Axel Rienhoff took part in today’s discussion on behalf of the SPD. Julia Willie Hamburg, her co-chairman Christian Meyer, the two state chairmen Anne Kura and Hans-Joachim Janßen and the member of the state parliament Miriam Staudte were in the group for the Greens.
Big differences to the formation of the government in 2013
Those involved had already declared before the state elections that a red-green state government is the desired coalition of both parties. The SPD and the Greens governed together from 2013 to 2017, but after the 2017 state elections it was no longer enough for a majority – and the SPD went into a grand coalition with the CDU. When asked what had changed since 2013, Weil said that the SPD and the Greens had formed the coalition at a time when “economically and financially things were definitely progressing”. Today, the framework conditions are “perhaps more difficult than ever before,” said Weil, who is heading for his third term in office.
That’s how the people of Lower Saxony voted
Further information
VIDEO: After the state elections in NDS: SPD on course towards red-green (4 min)
