Epiphany meeting of the SPD: Act instead of sodering – and dream a little
Munich – The Mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter (SPD) dreams a lot. At least he was able to tell of two dreams at the Epiphany meeting of the Munich SPD on Friday.
The new Bavarian Prime Minister is Florian von Brunn
Dream 1: Reiter strolls through the Hofgarten at night, the State Chancellery is brightly lit. Because the employees there still have to shred files in a hurry. After 65 years, the CSU has to give up its seat of government to the SPD. The new Bavarian Prime Minister is Florian von Brunn.
Dream 2, a nightmare: The CSU governs everywhere, in Munich, in Bavaria, in Germany. “And suddenly it’s cold in the country,” said Reiter. With the CSU, he predicted, the gas storage facilities would be empty and there would be no energy aid either. Then the CSU Prime Minister Markus Söder announced 800 million energy aid, but it was not even clear who should be entitled.
It makes a difference who governs
Of course, Reiter didn’t just talk about his dreams to speak to the completely full hall, but to show that it makes a difference who was governed.
And so he not only referred to the grants for energy, the SPD-led federal government and the Munich City Hall. Reiter also mentioned the former McGraw barracks, which the Free State owns and which it could build around 250 apartments on, but is leaving idle.
But maybe the mayor wanted the fantasy stimulate a little of his comrades. Because Reiter, as he said, only appeared as an “opening act” at the Epiphany meeting. Namely for Florian von Brunn, the leader of the SPD parliamentary group in the state parliament, the top candidates of the SPD in the state elections in autumn and, as Reiter speculated, “who knows” the next Bavarian prime minister.
But Reiter also knows that according to polls in Bavaria, the SPD is currently just ten percent. But about 15 months ago, shortly before the federal elections, he also welcomed Olaf Scholz as the future German Chancellor in Munich. “And then what happened? You know the answer.”
“Act instead of sodering”
Reiter closed his speech with an appeal: “We have to be diligent now, work and stick together. Because the SPD is always strong when we work together and not against each other.” There was quite rapturous applause for that. But the SPD members didn’t get up from their chairs to clap at the support band Reiter, but at their headliner, von Brunn.
He also emphasized that Söder is better at talking than in the making and outlined the most important points in the election campaign for him. For example, von Brunn wants to start a referendum to abolish the 10-hour regulation in Bavaria, which blocks wind power. He wants to invest significantly more in geothermal energy and fight against the shortage of skilled workers. He called for an equal starting salary for all teachers, regardless of whether they work in elementary school or high school.
The craft will strengthen from Brunn, and the master will become free. Immigration is also made easier. “Act instead of sodering” is von Brunn’s motto.
CSU: “I also like to eat vegetables – and a meatball as a side dish”
The Munich CSU also held an Epiphany meeting on Friday evening – in the Augustiner Keller. And was able to welcome a prominent guest: Prime Minister Markus Söder. Before the start of the event, AZ spoke to the head of the Munich CSU, Minister of Justice Georg Eisenreich. He is particularly worried about the government in Berlin.
In difficult times like these, when war is raging in Europe, he doesn’t expect the government to solve all problems. “But I expect that problems will not be increased for ideological reasons,” said Eisenreich.
He cannot understand why the nuclear power plants are only being extended until spring and not until the end of the crisis. Eisenreich describes the diesel driving ban, which soon gilded Munich, as an “absurdity”. Subsequently, no court ordered this. The Munich City Hall decided it voluntarily.
“That burdened Munich households, craftsmen, entrepreneurs in the middle of a crisis with additional costs,” said Eisenreich. This is anti-business and anti-social. Eisenreich says he wants to fight against paternalism and unnecessary bans. In his view, the Greens in particular are constantly trying to patronize, whether it’s about mobility, speaking or eating.
“I also like to eat vegetables – and a meatball as a side dish.” Eisenreich also has to attack the Greens particularly hard because they are the biggest competitor. While the CSU achieved their worst result since 1950 in the 2018 state election, the Greens managed to win six direct mandates for the first time, five of them in Munich.
All candidates who want to try it for the CSU in the fall have now been determined – except in Milbertshofen, the constituency in which the Greens’ top candidate Katharina Schulze recently won 35 percent of the first votes. Is the CSU afraid? Eisenreich emphasizes that this is not the case. There is still a need for internal discussion. The association wants to combine the delegate election with the new election of its board. The candidate should be known in February.
Green “The Party Goes On”
The Munich Greens are not organizing an epiphany meeting, i.e. a start to the election campaign year. For many members, the election campaign had already begun when all Munich candidates were nominated in the fall, says Svenja Jarchow-Pongratz, head of the city’s Greens.
Among them is the top Bavarian green duo: Katharina Schulze (Milbertshofen) and Ludwig Hartmann (middle). Both achieved record results in their constituencies in the last election. But Jarchow-Pongratz believes that there aren’t just advantages when the top candidates are at home here. Then die can not only hold events in Munich, but must be present throughout the Free State.
The leader of the Greens is nevertheless optimistic that her party can win even more constituencies in the fall than in the last state election. At that time, the Greens in Munich got five direct mandates. According to Jarchow-Pongratz, it should be better this time, because the team is diverse and the green policy is progressive and honest. “We are sure: the green party will continue.”
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