Saxony-Anhalt: Haseloff wants to prevent a vote on increasing the radio license fee

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The next two days in Magdeburg will decide the fate of the Kenya coalition of Saxony-Anhalt.

The coalition factions of the CDU, SPD and Greens have so deeply quarreled over the question of increasing the broadcasting fee in recent weeks that the alliance formed in 2016 is about to end.

The SPD and the Greens are threatening to leave the coalition if the Union, as previously announced, rejects the increase in the contribution together with the AfD in the state parliament.

The state treaty, which 14 state parliaments have approved so far, would then fail.

Before one crisis meeting chases the next in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt and in the state chancellery on Tuesday, Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff has now made a proposal to temporarily pacify the political situation.

He absolutely wants to avoid a breakup of the government in the middle of the corona pandemic.

Haseloff still assumes that the CDU parliamentary group would reject the contribution increase if it came to a vote in parliament.

This is exactly what the Christian Democrat wants to prevent with a new proposal.

An application resolution formulated by the State Chancellery for the media committee that met on Tuesday is now campaigning for renegotiations when determining the broadcasting fee.

This would save Haseloff time; the conflict would not be resolved, but it would be postponed until January at least.

The fight votes in the media committee and in the plenary session of the state parliament would be canceled in December.

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The six-page text is available to WELT.

The reason: The previous calculations by the commission to determine the financial needs of the broadcasters (KEF) were all made before the outbreak of the corona pandemic.

Since then, however, "the economic data have changed fundamentally," says the text.

The previous "business basis for the State Treaty" was no longer applicable

The effects of the corona pandemic, "its consequences for public budgets as well as for the contributors, namely from the economy", are "significant", it continues.

"The situation is not only temporarily affected by the collapse of national and international value chains, unemployment, short-time working, company closings, other measures to contain the pandemic and other more severe".

The state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt could not ignore these effects in its decision to be made in December 2020 in the context of the dramatically rampant pandemic.

Because the lockdown has noticeable negative financial consequences for many citizens, the KEF must also check whether a premium increase is still appropriate or whether savings potential can be used at the broadcasters.

The draft proposal then states: "The state government is asked to work in the Broadcasting Commission on a supplementary opinion from the KEF and to enter into renegotiations as to whether, in view of this development, a deviation from the KEF's recommendation now appears necessary".

The previous "business basis for the State Treaty" was no longer applicable because the "effects of the corona pandemic could not be included".

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So far it is completely unclear whether Haseloff will succeed in breaking free.

On Monday evening, leading Union politicians from Saxony-Anhalt discussed in Magdeburg whether they wanted to follow Haseloff's proposal.

But even then it would not be clear whether the plan would work.

So far, the Greens and Social Democrats have at least insisted that the Union parliamentary group ensures that the increase is approved by parliament, at least through a vote-splitting procedure.

The CDU, which “does not want to be divided”, is resisting this.

On Tuesday morning, the individual parliamentary groups will first be discussed on the situation.

This is followed by a cabinet meeting, followed by the coalition committee.

The media committee will meet on Wednesday.

Whether the Kenya coalition still exists on Wednesday evening is currently completely open.

Haseloff's move is a last-ditch effort to prevent the government from falling apart.

“The odds are 50:50,” says one member of the government.