CDU and SPD call for a new political culture

The CDU and SPD in Saxony want to cultivate a new political culture in their dealings with the opposition as a minority government. Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) announced a consultation mechanism in order to incorporate the views of other parliamentary groups into the legislative process at an early stage. He said that the government's main plans would be communicated early and continuously and that the state parliament would be given the opportunity to articulate its positions.

In principle, the AfD is also included in this mechanism. However, like SPD leader Hennig Homann, Kretschmer clearly ruled out any cooperation with the party, which has been classified as right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony. There can be no cooperation with the AfD and no search for majorities, said Kretschmer. He does not see the firewall in danger. Homann did not want the consultation mechanism to be understood as an anti-AfD clause. It is an offer for a better political culture.

CDU parliamentary group leader: We are in a new world

Christian Hartmann, CDU parliamentary group leader, made it clear that there is still some convincing to be done, especially in Saxony's CDU, which is accustomed to success. "We are in a new world (...). We will have to learn that we will lose votes." However, the CDU is not a synchronous mass. A clear majority in the party supports the course, with "varying degrees of enthusiasm for this process". However, they have decided to take this new risk.

"We want to pursue a policy from the center of the political spectrum. We can see how agitated this country is, how torn it is," said Kretschmer. Many people had said goodbye to democracy to a certain extent. The CDU and SPD wanted to make a contribution to keeping society together. They approach their work with great humility, approach others and see this as an invitation to join in. It must be possible to find cross-party compromises in the state parliament.

New government to be in place by Christmas

The committees of the two parties decided on Thursday evening to officially enter into coalition negotiations. The working groups will start next Monday, said SPD parliamentary group leader Dirk Panter. The results should then be summarized and finally discussed in a top-level meeting. The Prime Minister is to be elected and a new government formed before Christmas. However, they do not want to be put under pressure in terms of time.

According to the Saxon constitution, the Minister President must be elected by the beginning of February. Otherwise, new elections are due. The CDU and SPD are still ten votes short of electing Kretschmer in the first round of voting. Together, they have 51 seats in the state parliament; with 120 MPs, the majority is 61. In a second round of voting, Kretschmer would only need a majority of yes votes. In this case, however, opposition parties would have to abstain from voting.

Köpping: "Minority government is not witchcraft"

Saxony's Social Affairs Minister Petra Köpping, who acted as the SPD's lead candidate during the election campaign, spread fundamental optimism. "A minority government is not witchcraft." SPD leader Homann assumed that the parliamentary groups of other parties would follow the call to join in. He was currently experiencing a "joint reflection" on how to do something together and not "remain in the trenches". It is about listening to each other because we are dependent on each other.