[ad_1]
Rarely has the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament been in more public view than these days. It is up to the parliament in Magdeburg whether the increase in the radio license fee will occur on January 1 or not. And there is more. Behind the conflict over the rate hike is the question: How is the CDU doing with the AfD? The answer could be groundbreaking for the six-state elections and the federal elections next year. The most important things at a glance:
Because it is?
As of January 1, 2021, the contribution for public broadcasting will increase by 86 cents to 18.36 euros. It would be the first increase in premiums since 2009. The 16 prime ministers had decided this in June when they signed a new state treaty, or more precisely: the »First Media Amendment«.
The head of government of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, also signed. However, the firms did not resolve the increase. Ultimately, state parliaments must approve the contract.
So far, most state parliaments have agreed or at least signaled to do so, for example in Thuringia. Only in Saxony-Anhalt has there not yet been a majority among the deputies. The AfD parliamentary group has categorically rejected a premium increase for years. The CDU parliamentary group is also against and therefore opposed to its own prime minister. Together, the CDU and the AfD have a mathematical majority in the Magdeburg state parliament. Therefore, you could void the contract.
However, the SPD and the Greens in Saxony-Anhalt advocate the 86 cent increase – these two parties together with the CDU form the government in the so-called “Kenyan coalition”. If the CDU finally votes against the contract together with the AfD, the coalition partners threaten to end the cooperation. The government would have failed with the rate increase.
After long discussions, there is still no solution. Therefore, the vote that set the trend of the media committee in the Magdeburg state parliament was postponed for a week. The ruling parties have at least bought some time. The decisive vote in the state parliament is scheduled for mid-December.
What does the postponement of the decision in the media committee mean?
The media committee meeting was suspended for a week on Wednesday morning at the request of the CDU parliamentary group. Next Wednesday, December 9, the meeting will continue at 10 am The postponement of the meeting was no longer possible because an item on the agenda had already been called: the bill itself that provides for an increase in the transmission rate.
Coalition partners CDU, SPD and Greens want to sit down and work on a pledge for next week.
The media committee will adopt a resolution recommendation for the state parliament session. In the last two weeks there has been a series of discussions between the deputies. Prime Minister Haseloff and Minister of State for Culture Rainer Robra (CDU) also tried to promote the contract in their parliamentary group. The Berlin CDU leadership also joined the debate in the background; however, so far, all attempts to persuade the CDU parliamentary group to change its position have failed.
What role does Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff play?
Haseloff signed the contract in June, but abstained from an earlier vote in March. He had it written down in a memo when he signed the agreement. Haseloff explained in hindsight that he had in no way agreed to the increase with his signing, but only paved the way for state parliaments to address the issue.
He also announced at the time that he did not see a majority in his group for the treaty. Nothing changed in the following months. Haseloff is accused of this, both in the CDU and among the coalition partners.
It is said that he expected the problem to resolve itself too much, was too idle for a long time, and played with this tactic of not participating. However, in view of the enormous challenges posed by the crown crisis, Haseloff may have lost sight of the issue and returned to negotiations too late.
The CDU parliamentary group invokes the coalition agreement, right?
On page 136 of the Magdeburg coalition agreement, it reads: “When it comes to funding public broadcasting, we are sticking to the goal of stable contributions.” For the CDU, this means that we have jointly agreed not to increase fees. Furthermore, the deputies of the CDU never tire of emphasizing that they are sticking to an old position. In Saxony-Anhalt, the CDU has been calling for savings and reforms in public broadcasting for years, and a rate hike has been criticized time and again.
The parliamentary director of the CDU parliamentary group, Markus Kurz, recently commissioned an investigation. Employees of the CDU parliamentary group and the state chancellery should list since when the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt has been pushing for reforms. The list is 19 pages long. Statements from the Prime Minister’s Conference are aligned with state parliament resolutions and cabinet press releases. The first entry dates from November 2003. Be true to yourself and keep your word, that is the message of the CDU.
Coalition partners SPD and Greens interpret the word “contribution stability” from the coalition agreement differently, one might say: more generously. They argue that given inflation, the contribution would not increase, but would adjust. Therefore, the contribution would remain stable.
In addition, there is an independent authority, the Commission for Determining the Financial Needs of Broadcasting Corporations (KEF), which has been commissioned by policy to determine the financial needs of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio. The KEF reached a surcharge of 86 cents. In the event that the contract is not ratified before the end of the year, the broadcasters could go to court to claim the largest contribution.
Does the CDU threaten a second case in Thuringia?
When FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich was surprisingly elected Prime Minister of Thuringia with the votes of the FDP, CDU and AfD, there was a wave of outrage and a government crisis. The case had federal political consequences, the leader of the CDU, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, announced her retirement from the leadership of the CDU; she was accused of not keeping her party friends under control. Kemmerich was only a short-term head of government, but political upheavals are having an effect. Due to the crisis of the crown, there is still no chosen successor to Kramp-Karrenbauer.
In Saxony-Anhalt, however, the situation is different from that in Thuringia. While Kemmerich’s election in Thuringia was a surprise, all scenarios are already predictable here: the failure of the coalition, the resignation of the prime minister, and the effects at the national level if the State Treaty fails. Nothing can be ruled out for now.
Some rumors about a minority government of the CDU that is tolerated by the AfD. The AfD has already made such offers, even if the CDU’s federal leadership wants to avoid it at all costs. The federal CDU passed an incompatibility resolution that excludes both cooperation with the AfD and the left. Secretary General Paul Ziemiak has repeatedly distanced himself from the AfD; the question is whether the CDU parliamentary group in Magdeburg follows this line. An agreement between the coalition partners in Saxony-Anhalt would be a real surprise.
Will the coalition break up?
Even if the media committee postponed its decision: fronts between the coalition partners remain hardened. The faction manager, Markus Kurz, who is also the spokesman for media policy, made it clear again after the meeting that his faction will stick to its no to the State Treaty in the next week. There is no increase in the transmission rate with the CDU.
Therefore, the question arises of what options exist for a compromise. One consideration is not to deal with the state treaty at all in state parliament. This could prevent the CDU and AfD from rejecting it together. However, since all state parliaments have to accept the contract, it would not go into effect and the increase in contribution would fail.
The Greens and the SPD reject it. They also advocate for reforms and savings in broadcasting. However, they should only be addressed after the State Treaty has been ratified. The Greens have proposed to approve the State Treaty, but postpone the contribution increase for half a year. However, it is doubtful that that is enough for the CDU.
