After months of protracted discussions and negotiations, the Social Democrats (SPD) seem set to break up their Berlin coalition with the Christian Democrats (CDU) and topple governing Mayor Eberhard Diepgen. This coming Thursday, the SPD will call for a vote of no confidence against Diepgen and support the bid of the Social Democratic leader in the German House of Deputies, Klaus Wowereit, to become his successor.
If the Christian Democrats are scandalized by this announcement, this is less because they were surprised by the weakness of Diepgen's position, but rather because the change at the helm of Germany's largest city is going to happen with the support not only of the Greens, who have long been calling for such a move, but also of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS)—or the "Communists," as the CDU is used to calling them: they are, after all, successors to the once-ruling Socialist Unity Party of East Germany.
But they also dominate the political arena in East Berlin and it seems that the Social Democrats are now ready to downplay their ingrained anti-Communism in order to construct something which, for ten years, the Conservatives have not been able or willing to—a truly all-encompassing Berlin government. Even though the PDS will most likely not have any members in the ruling body (the Berlin Senate), they will be finally seen as an accepted political force.
Since there is a lot of pressure from all sides to hold early elections in autumn in order to "clean up" the parliament, the left-wing parties will be struggling to secure as large a share as possible. It seems that, right now, the issue is just what shade of red will prevail in Berlin for the years to come.
National Ethics Council formed
On Friday, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder chaired the first session of the newly formed National Ethics Council (Nationaler Ethikrat). Its main task is to counsel the government on the burning issues of genetic research and the possible use of embryonic tissue for medical purposes.
Schröder made it clear that his cabinet will not regard the Council's recommendations as binding, although it would taken them very seriously. Some days ago, the Chancellor had been criticized—notably by Federal President Johannes Rau—for his "business-orientated" approach to the topic.
Clement under fire
In a similar vein, the Social Democratic Minister President of North-Rhine Westfalia Wolfgang Clement (successor to Johannes Rau), called for a wide definition of "legitimate" research targets, a position placing him rather close to personalities on the political right such as former Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble. For this, Clement has come under fire—partly deflecting, as it were, the blame from Schröder—from representatives of the church and from members of the ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens.
Known as a leading figure of his party's right wing and his friendliness towards business, Clement has long been a target for more traditional leftists in his party.
Jens Boysen, 8 June 2001
Moving on:
Sources:
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Der Spiegel
Die Zeit
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