Woidke before the prime ministerial election: Will the SPD coalition break?

Woidke before the prime ministerial election: Will the SPD coalition break?

The Prime Minister of Brandenburg, Dietmar Woidke, faces a decisive election in the state parliament that will take place next Wednesday. The tension is tangible, because the coalition between the SPD and the alliance for Saxony-Anhalt (BSW) only has a narrow majority in parliament, which makes the starting point for Woidke risky. The head of government needs 45 votes from a total of 88 MPs in the first and second ballot, but a MP has already signaled not to vote for him. Deutschlandfunk reported that the short majority contains both opportunities and risks.

Woidke competes as a candidate of the SPD, who reached the lead in the state election on September 22, 2024 just before the AfD. The opposition parties reject cooperation, which leads to a bitter political constellation. Another potential troublemaker could be the BSW MP Sven Hornauf, who made critical statements about certain political decisions. If Woidke does not reach the necessary votes in the first ballot, a second takes place, and if it also fails, a third ballot will be necessary. In this case, the most votes would be enough to win, such as rbb24 explained.

The effects of this choice could be enormous: if Woidke fail to assert itself, the parliament would be considered to be dissolved in accordance with the state constitution, which could result in a new election within 70 days. Politically moving times are imminent, and the MPs will face a very tight vote on Wednesday. The result could decisively influence the future political landscape in Brandenburg.