Berlin state election, 2011
Encyclopedia
The last Berlin state election was held on 18 September 2011, to elect members to the Abgeordnetenhaus
(House of Deputies) of Berlin
. All 141 seats were up for election. Berlin was governed by a coalition between the Social Democratic Party and The Left
at the time. Current mayor Klaus Wowereit
was the favourite heading into Sunday's election.
The SPD won the most seats, 48, despite losing five. The Left also lost three seats, making a renewal of the two parties' red-red coalition
impossible. The centre-right Christian Democratic Union
(CDU) gained two seats to 39, putting them in second place, while the Greens
gained seven to finish third, with 30. The Free Democratic Party
lost three-quarters of its votes and all its seats. Meanwhile, the Pirate Party, in its first Berlin state election, won fifteen seats: the first time it had won election to a Landtag
anywhere in Germany.
(CDU) considers safety on the Berlin
U-Bahn
an issue after a number of attacks on the property of the U-Bahn. The CDU was using the images from attacks with the word "Safe?". The postcards have since been recalled. The CDU has posted billboards with a photo of its top candidate that also shows figures that compare the number of police officers cut from the force by the Red-Red Coalition with the number of crimes committed on the city's buses and U-Bahn trains. Nils Diederich, a professor of political science at the Free University of Berlin
, stated that this will not be much of an issue since there is a positive mood within the city.
stated, after "well-publicized attacks" in late winter and spring stated that he plans to increase security by increasing the number of police officers by 200 and lengthening the time video surveillance recordings are kept before being erased from 24 to 48 hours.
(FDP) got knocked out of the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin
after failing to reach the 5% threshold
. This is the fifth time this year that the Free Democrats failed to get in to a state parliament this year after previously getting knocked out in Saxony-Anhalt
, Rhineland-Palatinate
, Bremen
and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
. Baden-Württemberg
and Hamburg
are the only states in which they reached the 5% threshold this year. The win in Berlin marks the 7th time out of seven elections in 2011 that the Social Democrats
got into government.
and The Left
were inadvertently swapped in the Lichtenburg district. Evrim Baba-Sommer of the Green Party will replace Karin Seidel-Kalmutzki of the Social Democratic Party.
On 22 September 2011, Norbert Kopp, the district mayor for Steglitz-Zehlendorf, confirmed at least 379 postal ballots had found their way into the bin of a block of flats. The ballots were properly sent to the Zehlendorf city hall and the votes could change a number of the local council seats. The police have started an investigation over the incident.
. The Green Party platform had insisted on not extending the Bundesautobahn 100. The Social Democrats offered a compromise to not go ahead with the 3.2 km extension A100 if the €420 million provided by the federal government could be invested in other transportation infrastructure projects. However, the federal government has denied the possibility of transferring the money to other projects. Green Party head Bettina Jarasch stated that “There was not really the will within the SPD to work together with us on a coalition” while the Berliner Zeitung
wrote stating that "the left-wing of the SPD felt Wowereit and Müller had actually wanted to form a coalition with the CDU and had deliberately put the Greens in an impossible situation." Michael Müller, chairman of Berlin chapter of the Social Democratic Party, had "threatened to look towards the CDU" over the past weekend, because the Greens "stuck to their opposition to the motorway extension". Müller pointed out to the Greens "that the Red-Green coalition would only have a one-vote majority compared to the stable 10-vote majority which would be achieved in coalition with the CDU". Wolfgang Thierse, deputy Parliamentary group leader
, stated "that he was surprised and a little disappointed at the breakdown of talks" and "Just as Red-Green
would not have been heaven for Berlin, Red-Black
would not be hell". Renate Künast
, leader of the Berlin Chapter of the Green Party, stated that Klaus Wowereit
"wanted a surrender, and no coalition".
The Social Democrats therefore continued talks with the Christian Democrats so that a grand coalition
that will govern Berlin was finalized on 16 November 2011. According to the 100-page coalition agreement
, Wowereit will continue as mayor. Also, each party receives four ministries: Social Democrats will be in charge of the Finance, City development/Environment, Education/Youth/Science, and Jobs/Integration/Women portfolios whereas the Christian Democrats will have Interior/Sports, Economy/Technology/Research, Health/Social, and Justice/Consumer protection. Disagreements between the two parties have been settled. There will be for example a "City tax" of 5 % for hotel guests beginning in 2013 and the minimum wage for public contract jobs will increase by €1.00 per hour (currently at €7.50). Plans were dropped for making teachers civil servants again and requiring property owners to contribute to street improvement costs. Wowereit summarised the talks by saying “We want that Berlin becomes richer and stay sexy.”
Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
The Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin is the state parliament for the German state of Berlin, according to the state's constitution. The parliament is based at the building on Niederkirchnerstraße in Mitte which until 1934 was the seat of the lower house of the Preußischer Landtag...
(House of Deputies) of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. All 141 seats were up for election. Berlin was governed by a coalition between the Social Democratic Party and The Left
The Left (Germany)
The Left , also commonly referred to as the Left Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The Left is the most left-wing party of the five represented in the Bundestag....
at the time. Current mayor Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit is a German politician, member of the SPD , and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections...
was the favourite heading into Sunday's election.
The SPD won the most seats, 48, despite losing five. The Left also lost three seats, making a renewal of the two parties' red-red coalition
Red-red coalition
In politics, a red-red coalition is a coalition government composed of social-democratic parties allying themselves with more radical democratic socialist or socialist parties, a coalition that spans the centre-left to the left or far left....
impossible. The centre-right Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
(CDU) gained two seats to 39, putting them in second place, while the Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
gained seven to finish third, with 30. The Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
lost three-quarters of its votes and all its seats. Meanwhile, the Pirate Party, in its first Berlin state election, won fifteen seats: the first time it had won election to a Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
anywhere in Germany.
Christian Democratic Union
The Christian DemocratsChristian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
(CDU) considers safety on the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
U-Bahn
Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
an issue after a number of attacks on the property of the U-Bahn. The CDU was using the images from attacks with the word "Safe?". The postcards have since been recalled. The CDU has posted billboards with a photo of its top candidate that also shows figures that compare the number of police officers cut from the force by the Red-Red Coalition with the number of crimes committed on the city's buses and U-Bahn trains. Nils Diederich, a professor of political science at the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
, stated that this will not be much of an issue since there is a positive mood within the city.
Social Democratic Party
The Social Democrats (SPD) top candidate and mayor Klaus WowereitKlaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit is a German politician, member of the SPD , and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections...
stated, after "well-publicized attacks" in late winter and spring stated that he plans to increase security by increasing the number of police officers by 200 and lengthening the time video surveillance recordings are kept before being erased from 24 to 48 hours.
Election results and analysis
The Free Democratic PartyFree Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
(FDP) got knocked out of the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
after failing to reach the 5% threshold
Election threshold
In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to obtain any seats in the parliament...
. This is the fifth time this year that the Free Democrats failed to get in to a state parliament this year after previously getting knocked out in Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt state election, 2011
The Saxony-Anhalt state election was held on March 20, 2011 in Saxony-Anhalt for the 20th legislative period of the Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt. The Minister-President since 2002 has been Wolfgang Böhmer , who formed a grand coalition with the SPD after the previous state election in 2006...
, Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate state election, 2011
The 2011 Rhineland-Palatinate state election was conducted on 27 March 2011 to elect all 101 members to the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was held by proportional representation with a 5% threshold...
, Bremen
Bremen state election, 2011
A Bremen state election was held on May 22, 2011 to elect the Bürgerschaft . The Christian Democratic Union's slogan was "Now do the right thing." The Social Democratic Party and the Green Party wanted to continue their coalition. Nineteen parties and political associations are authorized to...
and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election, 2011
The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election was conducted on 4 September 2011, to elect members to the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
. Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg state election, 2011
The Baden-Württemberg state election 2011, was held on March 27, 2011, to elect members to Baden-Württemberg's State diet, the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. It was the 14th state election since the foundation of Baden-Württemberg in 1952...
and Hamburg
Hamburg state election, 2011
On February 20, 2011, a state election was held in Hamburg, Germany, for the 20th legislative period of the Hamburg Parliament after World War II. The election is a result of the collapse of the coalition government led by the Christian Democratic Union and the Green Alternative List . The Hamburg...
are the only states in which they reached the 5% threshold this year. The win in Berlin marks the 7th time out of seven elections in 2011 that the Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
got into government.
Voting problems
On 21 September 2011, election officials found that the results of the Green PartyAlliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
and The Left
The Left (Germany)
The Left , also commonly referred to as the Left Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The Left is the most left-wing party of the five represented in the Bundestag....
were inadvertently swapped in the Lichtenburg district. Evrim Baba-Sommer of the Green Party will replace Karin Seidel-Kalmutzki of the Social Democratic Party.
On 22 September 2011, Norbert Kopp, the district mayor for Steglitz-Zehlendorf, confirmed at least 379 postal ballots had found their way into the bin of a block of flats. The ballots were properly sent to the Zehlendorf city hall and the votes could change a number of the local council seats. The police have started an investigation over the incident.
Coalition talks
Initially, the Social Democrats concentrated on forming a coalition with the Greens. However, on 5 October 2011, coalition talks between the SPD and the Greens broke down. The disagreement was about the extention of Bundesautobahn 100Bundesautobahn 100
is an Autobahn in Germany. The A 100 encloses the city centre of the German capital Berlin, running from the Wedding district of the Berlin-Mitte borough in a southwestern bow through Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Tempelhof-Schöneberg to Neukölln...
. The Green Party platform had insisted on not extending the Bundesautobahn 100. The Social Democrats offered a compromise to not go ahead with the 3.2 km extension A100 if the €420 million provided by the federal government could be invested in other transportation infrastructure projects. However, the federal government has denied the possibility of transferring the money to other projects. Green Party head Bettina Jarasch stated that “There was not really the will within the SPD to work together with us on a coalition” while the Berliner Zeitung
Berliner Zeitung
The Berliner Zeitung, founded in 1945, is a German center-left daily newspaper based in Berlin, published by Berliner Verlag. It is the only East German paper to achieve national prominence since unification. In 2003, the Berliner was Berlin's largest subscription newspaper—the weekend...
wrote stating that "the left-wing of the SPD felt Wowereit and Müller had actually wanted to form a coalition with the CDU and had deliberately put the Greens in an impossible situation." Michael Müller, chairman of Berlin chapter of the Social Democratic Party, had "threatened to look towards the CDU" over the past weekend, because the Greens "stuck to their opposition to the motorway extension". Müller pointed out to the Greens "that the Red-Green coalition would only have a one-vote majority compared to the stable 10-vote majority which would be achieved in coalition with the CDU". Wolfgang Thierse, deputy Parliamentary group leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
, stated "that he was surprised and a little disappointed at the breakdown of talks" and "Just as Red-Green
Red-green alliance
In politics, a red-green alliance is an alliance of "red" social-democratic or democratic socialist parties with "green" environmentalist parties. The alliance is often based on common left political views, especially a shared distrust of corporate or capitalist institutions...
would not have been heaven for Berlin, Red-Black
Grand Coalition (Germany)
In modern Germany, grand coalition describes a governing coalition of the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, as they are the two largest parties.-Weimar Republic:...
would not be hell". Renate Künast
Renate Künast
Renate Künast is a German politician who is chairwoman of the Alliance '90/The Greens Bundestag parliamentary group. She was the Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture from 2001 to 2005...
, leader of the Berlin Chapter of the Green Party, stated that Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit
Klaus Wowereit is a German politician, member of the SPD , and has been the Mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections, where his party won a plurality of the votes, 29.7%. He served as President of the Bundesrat in 2001/02. His SPD-led coalition was re-elected in the 2006 elections...
"wanted a surrender, and no coalition".
The Social Democrats therefore continued talks with the Christian Democrats so that a grand coalition
Grand Coalition (Germany)
In modern Germany, grand coalition describes a governing coalition of the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, as they are the two largest parties.-Weimar Republic:...
that will govern Berlin was finalized on 16 November 2011. According to the 100-page coalition agreement
Coalition agreement
In multiparty democracies, a coalition agreement is an agreement between the parties that form the cabinet. It codifies the most important goals and objectives of the cabinet. It is often written by the leaders of the parliamentary parties.-Examples:...
, Wowereit will continue as mayor. Also, each party receives four ministries: Social Democrats will be in charge of the Finance, City development/Environment, Education/Youth/Science, and Jobs/Integration/Women portfolios whereas the Christian Democrats will have Interior/Sports, Economy/Technology/Research, Health/Social, and Justice/Consumer protection. Disagreements between the two parties have been settled. There will be for example a "City tax" of 5 % for hotel guests beginning in 2013 and the minimum wage for public contract jobs will increase by €1.00 per hour (currently at €7.50). Plans were dropped for making teachers civil servants again and requiring property owners to contribute to street improvement costs. Wowereit summarised the talks by saying “We want that Berlin becomes richer and stay sexy.”
Polls
| Institute | Date | SPD |
CDU |
LINKE |
GRÜNE |
FDP |
NPD NPD NPD may refer to:* National Democratic Party of Germany, a far-right political party in Germany; after its German language name, Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands... , DVU, REP |
All others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Info GMBH | 31 March 2011 | 32 % | 19 % | 11 % | 29 % | 3 % | - | 6% |
| Forsa institute Forsa institute The forsa Institute for Social Research and Statistical Analysis , forsa for short, is one of the leading market research and opinion polling companies in Germany... |
26 March 2011 | 29 % | 19 % | 13 % | 24 % | 3 % | - | 12 % |
| Info GMBH | 6 March 2011 | 29,6 % | 20,2 % | 12,5 % | 22,2 % | 3,7 % | 2,4 % | 9,3 % |
| Forsa | 25 February 2011 | 30 % | 18 % | 13 % | 23 % | 4 % | - | 12 % |
| Infratest dimap | 16 February 2011 | 28 % | 23 % | 16 % | 23 % | 3 % | - | 7 % |
| Forsa | 15 January 2011 | 28 % | 19 % | 14 % | 24 % | 3 % | - | 12 % |
| Infratest dimap | 10 January 2011 | 29 % | 20 % | 17 % | 25 % | 4 % | - | 5 % |
| Forsa | 18 December 2010 | 27 % | 19 % | 15 % | 25 % | 4 % | - | 10 % |
| Infratest dimap | 8 December 2010 | 27 % | 21 % | 17 % | 27 % | 3 % | - | 5 % |
| Forsa | 27 November 2010 | 26 % | 18 % | 16 % | 28 % | 3 % | - | 9 % |
| Forsa | 1 November 2010 | 27 % | 17 % | 14 % | 29 % | 3 % | - | 10 % |
| Infratest dimap | 27 October 2010 | 22 % | 20 % | 17 % | 30 % | 3 % | - | 8 % |
| Forsa | 1 October 2010 | 26 % | 16 % | 15 % | 30 % | 3 % | - | 10 % |
| Emnid | 13 September 2010 | 28 % | 19 % | 15 % | 25 % | 4 % | - | 9 % |
| Infratest dimap | 8 September 2010 | 24 % | 22 % | 16 % | 28 % | 4 % | - | 6 % |