Germany's two largest parties agree coalition plan to govern Berlin

Three weeks after the start of their coalition negotiations, the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD) have finalized their planned government programme for Berlin.
After agreeing on the main issues involved, representatives from the two parties also reached an agreement on the distribution of ministerial portfolios on Sunday evening, dpa learned from negotiating circles.
CDU secretary general Stefan Evers tweeted a video showing white smoke rising like at the election of the pope, while SPD politician Kevin Hönicke quipped on Twitter: "Habemus coalition agreement."
The two parties are set to present their coalition agreement on Monday.
Up until now, Berlin has been governed by a coalition of the SPD, the Greens and the Left party, die Linke.
Over the weekend, the negotiators resolved all the remaining issues, the main one being how to pay for the projects planned by the two parties.
The last item on the agenda was the distribution of ministries. While not all details have been disclosed, it was clear that the CDU and the SPD would each take over five senate administrations in the new state government.
The programme mainly involves building more housing, a billion-dollar programme for better climate protection, reforming the administration and upgrading the equipment for the police and fire brigade.
Both parties have also underlined their commitment to a diverse city in which people from all parts of the world can feel at home.
The incoming government replaces a coalition between the SPD, Greens and the Left Party.
CDU state leader Kai Wegner is to become the city's new mayor, replacing Franziska Giffey, who is to take on a senatorial post in the new government.
There are still two hurdles to overcome after the presentation of the coalition agreement.
The SPD has to launch a members' vote on the issue, the result of which will be announced on April 23. The CDU will also decide on the new programme at a party conference, which likely will not take place until after the SPD result has been announced. These two last remaining votes are likely to pass however.
The coalition negotiations between the CDU and SPD began on March 9 following the February 12 election. The leaders of both parties repeatedly said how much they welcomed the constructive atmosphere in which the talks were held.