
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…

What Does Democracy Mean? A great deal could be written about what democracy is. Put simply, in a democracy, all state authority is derived from the people. This means that the citizens of a country determine its political direction. Germany is a parliamentary and representative democracy: citizens elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf. These elected members of parliament meet…

What Is Lobbying? Lobbying is the organised effort by interest groups to influence political decisions. The term is derived from the word “lobby,” referring to the entrance halls of parliaments where representatives of various interests traditionally met with members of parliament to discuss and promote their concerns. Lobbying takes place in almost every area of politics and society. Those involved provide…

When I moved to Berlin in the spring of 2022, I was approached one sunny afternoon by people carrying clipboards under their arms. Would I like to sign a petition? I was pleasantly surprised by this request – such a sense of community in Berlin, what a place to have come to live. With a Spätibier in my hand and surrounded…

What Is the Wahl-O-Mat? The Wahl-O-Mat has been provided by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, bpb) since 2002. It is an online voting advice tool that allows users to compare their own political positions with those of political parties in Germany. Anyone using the Wahl-O-Mat can respond to a series of political statements. One example from…

Can’t vote in Berlin? There are a million people like you. We’re giving them a voice. That’s the message of WahlheYmat’s new StimmlosTrend campaign, which launches today. Modern democracy is built on elections. In Berlin, the House of Representatives is elected every five years by eligible German citizens (EU citizens can only vote in district elections). But Berlin has changed. Today,…
WahlheYmatPost — Understand How To Berlin
Quick stories, local events, and ways to take part, right in your inbox — made with Berliner Morgenpost.
Your data matters to us — see our privacy policy.
This is a cooperation with Berliner Morgenpost. You can subscribe to their newsletters here.

We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
Manage your cookie preferences below:
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Service URL: policies.google.com (opens in a new window)