How Woidke and Crumbach wish to stop a brand new election in Brandenburg | EUROtoday

As of: January 6, 2026 11:29 p.m

The SPD-BSW alliance in Brandenburg is historical past. A horrible finish that might finally strengthen Prime Minister Woidke. But solely due to a political trick.

Who is definitely standing the place right here? It’s not only a query many citizens in Brandenburg are asking themselves today. Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) and his Finance Minister Robert Crumbach (previously BSW) are additionally briefly confused. It’s Tuesday morning within the Potsdam state parliament, and Woidke is about to announce the tip of his SPD’s coalition with the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) at a press convention.

But to begin with, Woidke and Crumbach are standing in entrance of the flawed microphones. They rapidly swap locations and solely then will every part be so as. If you wish to see it that means: a symbolic scene.

Woidke strives for routine: “Have a wonderful day”

Above all, each wish to radiate stability. Reliability. Normality. Basically the other of what the SPD-BSW coalition just lately stood for. Woidke begins in a really relaxed method and desires everybody current “a wonderful day” and “a happy new year” – as if this had been a routine occasion right this moment.

He then introduced the tip of the federal government coalition between his SPD and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). He speaks very slowly. His core message: He and Crumbach stand for “security and stability in Brandenburg” – that’s, for “what people expect from us,” stated Woidke.

Crumbach stands subsequent to him and, when answering the primary query, takes a significant inventive pause that’s so lengthy that it seems like a brand new election may simply be held in it. The BSW, which he co-founded in Brandenburg, is a unique celebration right this moment, he explains. Hence his departure. As of right this moment he’s additionally a member of the SPD parliamentary group, though not a celebration member.

Only eleven left BSW MPs left over

A brand new election is precisely what each males wish to keep away from. According to present surveys, just one celebration would profit from this: the Alternative for Germany (AfD). She is Woidke’s principal opponent. And due to the AfD’s sturdy efficiency within the state elections in autumn 2024, Woidke’s coalition choices are very restricted.

There are weeks of actual chaos behind the top of presidency – due to the coalition associate BSW. Of the previous 14 BSW MPs within the Brandenburg state parliamentary group, solely eleven stay after agonizing arguments concerning the celebration’s inner course.

And the remaining BSW members didn’t wish to make a declaration of loyalty to the coalition as demanded by the Prime Minister. That was the purpose at which Woidke pulled the ripcord. Two ex-BSW members, together with Crumbach and MP Jouleen Gruhn, have now switched to the SPD parliamentary group. But the SPD and BSW not have a steady majority collectively.

New majority by means of Faction changer

First of all, it appears as if all authorities ministers will stay in workplace, together with Crumbach and people from the BSW. However, it’s turning into obvious that Woidke will type a brand new coalition with the CDU. Both teams collectively have 46 members, i.e. a majority within the 88-seat parliament.

A majority, nevertheless, which solely comes about by means of the faction adjustments of the 2 former BSW MPs Crumbach and Gruhn. And a majority that doesn’t replicate the desire of the voters. After all, all BSW representatives had been recruited through the state checklist – i.e. for his or her celebration. Not a single BSW MP was elected as a direct candidate with first votes.

Woidke does not appear to see an issue with this. His purpose is to make sure “a democratic majority in the Brandenburg state parliament”. If essential, apparently additionally with representatives who had been initially despatched to the state parliament by BSW voters and who at the moment are presumably presupposed to make SPD-CDU coverage.

Power politics Lesson

“This is a betrayal of the voters,” criticizes the present Brandenburg BSW boss Friederike Benda. This is how one can interpret the method in Brandenburg. But you too can see it as one other lesson from the ability politician Dietmar Woidke.

He, who solely ran as soon as within the final state election to stop the AfD from turning into the strongest drive within the state parliament, has been taking part in excessive stakes for years. And has gained each time up to now. Shortly earlier than the election, Woidke abruptly struck such a right-wing tone that a few of his personal celebration members had problem distinguishing him from an AfD politician. At the identical time, he withdrew votes from the Greens and the Left – with a purpose to stop the AfD.

Stability with the CDU?

As a consequence, the ballot numbers shot up and after the election night his SPD was the strongest drive. The coalition with the BSW was extraordinarily shaky from the beginning. In the election for Prime Minister, Woidke didn’t obtain a majority within the first spherical. In the second, he abruptly had extra votes than the SPD and BSW have mixed.

Apparently CDU MPs additionally voted for Woidke within the secret election. A sign that the ability politician Woidke should have understood: in response to the motto “you could rely on the CDU”.

So now it truly appears to be a coalition with the Christian Democrats. This may very well be considerably extra steady than the failed experiment with the BSW. Woidke can be very proud of that. The incontrovertible fact that the voters truly ordered a unique coverage is only a facet word.