Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to be led by red-red-green coalition for first time

Manuela Schwesig (r, SPD) with Hennis Herbst (l, Die Linke) and Claudia Müller (M, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen). Source: Jens Büttner/dpa

The SPD, Linke and Greens intend to govern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern together. The coalition agreement provides for fewer administrative staff, funding for hospitals and benefits for residents near wind farms.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will in future be led by a red-red-green state government for the first time. After the Linke and the Greens, the Social Democrats also approved the negotiated coalition agreement at a special party conference in Güstrow. The vote was unanimous. The agreement is to be signed in Greifswald in the evening.

Minister-President Manuela Schwesig (SPD) spoke in Güstrow before around 120 delegates of a strong coalition agreement that bears the SPD's signature in many respects. She emphasized that the agreement also contains one clear point: "With this coalition of SPD, Greens and Linke, there will and can be no cooperation with the AfD."

Claudia Müller of the Greens, who will serve as minister responsible for the environment, nature conservation, climate protection, energy, mobility and equality, had previously campaigned for the coalition agreement at the Greens' party conference in Stralsund. "I am truly proud of what we, as the smallest of the three partners, have achieved." In the end, she said, the agreement is a compromise.

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The 52-year-old Schwesig has been head of government in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 2017 and intends to stand for re-election in the state parliament on Monday. There, red-red-green holds 39 of the 71 seats. The AfD, as the only opposition party, has 32 seats. The previous red-red government lost its governing majority in the state election on September 20.

The 133-page coalition program is titled "Cohesion, Confidence, Future" and was drafted in recent weeks by the negotiating delegations led by Schwesig and the parliamentary group leaders of the Linke, Hennis Herbst, and the Greens, Claudia Müller. The legislative period lasts five years.

The distribution of ministries has also been settled. The SPD provides five ministers — one of them non-partisan — as well as the head of the State Chancellery. The Linke fills two ministries, and the Greens receive one ministerial post. Five department heads are women, five are men.

Key Topics: Maritime Economy, Food Industry and Medicine

The maritime economy, the food industry and medicine are among the central topics on which the new government intends to focus. The coalition partners promise businesses less bureaucracy — also through greater digitalization. This is also intended to help eliminate 1,000 positions in the administrative apparatus by 2035. Red-red-green also wants to advocate exempting residents of wind and solar farms from grid fees. In addition, they are to share in the profits of the facilities.

SPD, Linke and Greens do not want to touch the welfare state. One billion euros is earmarked for the modernization of hospitals until 2035. Daycare centers remain free of charge, the government is examining a mandatory preschool year, wants to strengthen mathematics instruction and hire more teachers to reduce the record level of missed lessons.

A new university location is planned in Schwerin. Young people are also to receive a subsidy of 20 euros toward the Deutschland-Ticket starting in 2028.

dpa/jm