The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), which leads the German federal government, has gone from being the main political force to the third largest party in the Berlin House of Representatives after the elections held this Sunday.
The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has obtained 27.8 percent of the votes and 47 representatives, while the second political force will be The Greens (18.8 percent and 32 seats), according to the extrapolation on real vote of Infratest Dimap. The SPD comes in third with 18.7 percent and also 32 seats, while The Left achieves 12.1 percent of votes and 21 seats.
Far behind are Alternative for Germany (9 percent and 15 seats) and the liberals of the Liberal Democratic Party (FDP) would be left out after achieving 4.5 percent of votes, below the 5 percent minimum established in the electoral legislation.
The CDU has expressed its intention to govern, although the most feasible formula is a left-wing coalition between socialists and ecologists with the support of the Left.
It is the first time in more than 20 years that the CDU is the most voted party in Berlin after a campaign to defend security and order following the New Year’s Eve riots, in which dozens of people were injured in incidents involving young migrants.
«Thank you very much for this clear mandate to govern», declared the CDU candidate, Kai Wegner, after the results were known, while the current mayor of the SPD, Franziska Giffey, has tried unsuccessfully to overthrow the image of Berlin as a «city of chaos».
The ecologist candidate, Bettina Jarasch, has polarized her party’s results with her defense of the measures against car traffic in the city, while her detractors hold her responsible for the traffic chaos. Jarasch has defended after the vote the continuity of the coalition with the SPD, as has the candidate of the Left, Klaus Lederer.
Berliners have gone to the polls after the original elections of September 26, 2021 were annulled by the state Constitutional Court due to huge logistical problems on voting day.
In its annulment ruling, the Constitutional Court blamed the German state authorities for delays in the opening of polling stations, lack of election materials, errors in the drafting of candidate lists and even the unsynchronized closing of the polls, all in the midst of the city’s well-known marathon, which ended up paralyzing efforts to stabilize the development of the polls.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
