
Why Is Rent Policy a Central Issue in Berlin’s Election Campaign? Around 85 percent of Berliners live in rented accommodation. At the same time, the housing market in the capital is tight: rents are rising, new housing construction remains sluggish, and legal loopholes frequently allow furnished apartments to be offered at inflated prices. This is why rent policy is one of…

What if Berlin had two Regierende Bürgermeister:innen? One representing the city’s elected voice — and another representing the voice of Berlin’s international residents who live, work and contribute here but do not have German citizenship and therefore cannot vote in Berlin elections. Because in a democratic society, it can’t be right that 25% of the people who live here have no…

What Impact Does Berlin’s Electoral Reform Have? In September 2023, Berlin’s House of Representatives (AGH) adopted an amendment to the state constitution lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. The aim of the constitutional amendment is to strengthen the democratic participation of young people. The new rule will apply for the first time in the 2026 election to the House…

What is a Volksentscheid? A Volksentscheid, or referendum, allows Berliners to vote directly on proposed legislation and political issues outside regular elections, or to trigger an early election. Anyone who is eligible to vote in elections to the Berlin House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus) is also eligible to take part in a Volksentscheid. A Volksentscheid can only take place after a successful…

If you are an EU citizen living in Berlin but do not have German citizenship, you cannot vote in the election for Berlin’s House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus). But you can vote for your local District Assembly (Bezirksverordnetenversammlung, or BVV) if you meet the eligibility requirements. Around 240,000 non-German EU citizens are eligible to take part in Berlin’s BVV elections on September…

How Is the Government Formed? Berlin’s state government is the Senate. It consists of the Governing Mayor and ten senators. Every five years, a new Senate is formed. During coalition negotiations, the parliamentary groups agree on common political goals, the distribution of government portfolios and the budget. Afterwards, the members of the Berlin House of Representatives elect the Governing Mayor by…
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