2023 Berlin repeat state election

12 February 2023

All 159 seats in the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin, including 29 overhang and leveling seats
80 seats needed for a majority
Turnout1,529,558 (62.9%) Decrease 12.4pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
2014-09-09 - Kai Wegner MdB - 7002.jpg
2021-09-26 Abgeordnetenhauswahlabend SPD Berlin by Sandro Halank–030.jpg
Pressefoto Bettina-Jarasch 2014.jpg
Candidate Kai Wegner Franziska Giffey Bettina Jarasch
Party CDU SPD Greens
Last election 30 seats, 18.0% 36 seats, 21.4% 32 seats, 18.9%
Seats won 52 34 34
Seat change Increase 22 Decrease 2 Increase 2
Popular vote 428,228 279,017 278,964
Percentage 28.2% 18.4% 18.4%
Swing Increase 10.2pp Decrease 3.0pp Decrease 0.5pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
2017-11-16 Klaus Lederer (Wiki Loves Parliaments 2017 in Berlin) by Sandro Halank.jpg
Kristin_Brinker,_AfD_(Martin_Rulsch)_2017-11-16.jpg
Portrait Sebastian Czaja.jpg
Candidate Klaus Lederer Kristin Brinker Sebastian Czaja
Party Left AfD FDP
Last election 24 seats, 14.1% 13 seats, 8.0% 12 seats, 7.1%
Seats won 22 17 0
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 4 Decrease 12
Popular vote 185,119 137,871 70,416
Percentage 12.2% 9.1% 4.6%
Swing Decrease 1.9pp Increase 1.1pp Decrease 2.5pp

Results for single-member constituencies.

Government before election

Giffey senate
SPDGreenLeft

Elected Government

Wegner senate
CDUSPD

The 2023 Berlin repeat state election was held on 12 February 2023 to once again elect the 19th Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin. The 19th Abgeordnetenhaus was originally elected in the 2021 Berlin state election held on 26 September. On 16 November 2022, the Constitutional Court of the State of Berlin declared the results invalid due to numerous irregularities and ordered a repeat election within 90 days.[1][2] A decision by the Federal Constitutional Court regarding five constitutional complaints is still pending but would not be decided until after the repeat election.[3][4] The incumbent government was a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), The Greens, and The Left led by Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey. Alongside the Abgeordnetenhaus election, the boroughs of Berlin council results were also ruled invalid and repeat elections ordered for the same date.[5]

With 28% of votes, the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) grew by over ten percentage points and emerged as the largest party by a wide margin, the first time it had done so since the 1999 Berlin state election. All three governing parties declined; the SPD suffered its worst result in over a century with 18.4%, and only barely remained ahead of the Greens by a margin of 53 votes. The Left also slipped to 12%. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) recorded a small upswing to 9%, while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) fell to 4.6% and lost all their seats. Overall, the incumbent government retained a reduced majority. The CDU claimed a mandate to govern given its first-place result, while mayor Giffey committed to remaining in government. The Left called for a renewal of the outgoing coalition.[6] After various talks between parties, the SPD and CDU voted at the beginning of March to begin negotiations for a grand coalition. CDU leader Kai Wegner was approved as mayor on 27 April after three rounds of voting.[7][8]

Election date

The election to the 19th Berlin House of Representatives originally took place on 26 September 2021, but the results were ruled invalid by the Berlin Constitutional Court on 16 November 2022. A repeat election was ordered to take place within 90 days – 14 February 2023 at the latest. Constitutionally, the house has a term of five years. The Court's decision did not reset the legislative term, meaning the next regular elections must still take place no later than Autumn 2026.[9][10] State electoral officer Stephan Bröchler confirmed that the election would take place on Sunday 12 February, the latest possible date.[11]

The sitting members of the House of Representatives who, in accordance with the ruling of the Constitutional Court, remained in office until the repeat election, could have circumvented the court ruling by dissolving the house and thus bringing about a snap election for a regular 20th legislative period (this is possible under the Berlin state constitution with a two-thirds majority of all members of parliament). However, this move was not seriously considered.

Electoral system

The Abgeordnetenhaus is elected via mixed-member proportional representation. 78 members are elected in single-member constituencies via first-past-the-post voting. 52 members are then allocated using compensatory proportional representation, distributed in each of Berlin's twelve boroughs. Voters have two votes: the "first vote" for candidates in single-member constituencies, and the "second vote" for party lists, which are used to fill the proportional seats. The minimum size of the Abgeordnetenhaus is 130 members, but if overhang seats are present, proportional leveling seats will be added to ensure proportionality. An electoral threshold of 5% of valid votes is applied to the Abgeordnetenhaus; parties that fall below this threshold are excluded from the Abgeordnetenhaus. However, parties which win at least one single-member constituency are exempt from the threshold and will be allocated seats proportionally, even if they fall below 5%.[9]

Background

In the original election held on 26 September 2021, the SPD remained the largest party with 21.4% of the vote. The Greens grew to become the second-largest party with 18.9%, followed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on 18.0%. The Left saw a small decline to 14.1%. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) lost almost half their voteshare and fell to 8.0%, while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) saw a small improvement to 7.1%. The SPD had led a coalition with the Left and Greens since 2016, which was returned with an increased majority. The government was subsequently renewed under new mayor Franziska Giffey.

Numerous irregularities were reported during the 2021 elections, including shortages of ballot papers, unusually long queues to vote, ballots being delivered to the wrong locations, and in some cases voters being turned away or offered only ballot papers for the federal election. After months of investigation and hearings, in September 2022, the Constitutional Court of the State of Berlin issued a preliminary assessment declaring that a full repeat of both the state and district council elections was likely necessary. This was confirmed by their official ruling in November. The results of the election were thus voided and new elections ordered for within 90 days.[1]

Parties

The table below lists parties previously represented in the 19th Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin.

Name Ideology 2021 result
Votes (%) Seats
SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
Social democracy 21.4%
36 / 147
Grüne Alliance 90/The Greens
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Green politics 18.9%
32 / 147
CDU Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands
Christian democracy 18.0%
30 / 147
Linke The Left
Die Linke
Democratic socialism 14.1%
24 / 147
AfD Alternative for Germany
Alternative für Deutschland
Right-wing populism 8.0%
13 / 147
FDP Free Democratic Party
Freie Demokratische Partei
Liberalism 7.1%
12 / 147

Opinion polls

Graphical summary

Local regression of polls conducted.

Party polling

Polling firm Fieldwork date Sample

size

SPD Grüne CDU Linke AfD FDP Others Lead
2023 state election 12 Feb 2023 18.4 18.4 28.2 12.2 9.1 4.6 9.0 9.8
Wahlkreisprognose 8–10 Feb 2023 1,000 19.5 18.5 25 13 9 5 10 5.5
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen 8–9 Feb 2023 1,059 21 17 25 11 10 6 10 4
INSA 2–9 Feb 2023 1,000 19 18 25 12 10 6 10 6
Civey 2–9 Feb 2023 2,002 22 17 24 11 9 7 10 2
Forsa 30 Jan–3 Feb 2023 1,005 17 18 26 12 10 5 12 8
Forschungsgruppe Wahlen 31 Jan–2 Feb 2023 1,151 21 18 24 11 10 6 10 3
Wahlkreisprognose 31 Jan–2 Feb 2023 1,034 19 19 22 12.5 11.5 5.5 10.5 3
Infratest dimap 30 Jan–1 Feb 2023 1,540 19 18 25 12 10 6 10 6
Infratest dimap 12–16 Jan 2023 1,162 18 21 23 11 11 6 10 2
Wahlkreisprognose 6–9 Jan 2023 1,100 19.5 20 22.5 12.5 11 4 10.5 2.5
INSA 12–19 Dec 2022 1,000 21 20 21 12 10 6 10 Tie
Wahlkreisprognose 11–13 Dec 2022 1,456 20 20.5 20 12.5 11 5 11 0.5
Infratest dimap 17–21 Nov 2022 1,179 19 22 21 11 10 5 12 1
Wahlkreisprognose 16–17 Nov 2022 1,200 18.5 18.5 18.5 14.5 12 6.5 11.5 Tie
INSA 7–11 Nov 2022 1,000 20 20 21 12 10 7 10 1
Wahlkreisprognose 27–29 Oct 2022 1,311 19 19.5 19 14.5 12 5 11 0.5
Wahlkreisprognose 10–13 Oct 2022 1,100 18 19 21 14 13 5 10 2
Infratest dimap 13–17 Sep 2022 1,173 17 22 21 12 10 6 12 1
Wahlkreisprognose 8–12 Aug 2022 1,100 20.5 26.5 19 10.5 9 5 9.5 6
INSA 4–11 Jul 2022 1,000 20 21 20 12 8 7 12 1
INSA 10–15 Jun 2022 1,000 21 20 21 12 8 8 10 Tie
Wahlkreisprognose 18-25 May 2022 1,100 17 29.5 21 10.5 6.5 5.5 10 8.5
Infratest dimap 16–19 Mar 2022 1,170 20 21 20 12 8 8 11 1
INSA 6–13 Dec 2021 1,000 22 19 20 15 9 7 8 2
2021 state election 26 Sep 2021 21.4 18.9 18.0 14.1 8.0 7.1 12.5 2.5

West Berlin

Polling firm Fieldwork date Sample

size

SPD Grüne CDU Linke AfD FDP Others Lead
2023 state election 12 Feb 2023 19.9 19.8 31.1 9.0 6.8 5.3 8.1 11.2
Infratest dimap 30 Jan–2 Feb 2023 21 19 29 8 8 5 10 8
Infratest dimap 12–16 Jan 2023 20 22 27 8 9 5 9 5
Infratest dimap 17–21 Nov 2022 20 23 25 8 8 5 11 2
Wahlkreisprognose 10–13 Oct 2022 19 20.5 24 10.5 10.5 5.5 10 3.5
Infratest dimap 13–17 Sep 2022 17 24 24 8 8 7 12 Tie
Infratest dimap 16–19 Mar 2022 21 23 24 7 6 8 11 1
2021 state election 26 Sep 2021 22.9 20.3 20.8 10.1 6.3 7.9 11.7 2.1

East Berlin

Polling firm Fieldwork date Sample

size

SPD Linke Grüne CDU AfD FDP Others Lead
2023 state election 12 Feb 2023 16.4 16.6 16.4 24.3 12.2 3.7 10.4 7.7
Infratest dimap 31 Jan–2 Feb 2023 17 14 16 20 14 6 9 3
Infratest dimap 12–16 Jan 2023 17 14 18 18 15 6 12 Tie
Infratest dimap 17–21 Nov 2022 18 15 20 14 14 5 14 2
Wahlkreisprognose 10–13 Oct 2022 16 19.5 17.5 16.5 17 4 9.5 2
Infratest dimap 13–17 Sep 2022 17 16 20 17 12 5 13 3
Infratest dimap 16–19 Mar 2022 20 18 18 14 11 7 12 2
2021 state election 26 Sep 2021 19.4 19.4 17.0 14.3 10.3 6.1 11.7 Tie

Results

Results of the party list vote by voting precinct (Wahlbezirk).
PartyConstituencyParty listTotal
seats
+/–
Votes%+/–SeatsVotes%+/–Seats
Christian Democratic Union (CDU)449,99029.71+10.0648428,22828.23+10.23452+22
Social Democratic Party (SPD)301,85119.93–3.424279,01718.39–3.023034–2
Alliance 90/The Greens (GRÜNE)290,02619.15–0.8320278,96418.39–0.461434+2
The Left (LINKE)186,47312.31–1.634185,11912.20–1.851822–2
Alternative for Germany (AfD)136,4269.01+0.942137,8719.09+1.101517+4
Free Democratic Party (FDP)58,3813.85–2.74070,4164.64–2.5000–12
Human Environment Animal Protection43,9242.90–0.47036,2732.39+0.19000
Die PARTEI25,1201.66–0.35021,5701.42–0.38000
Volt Germany14,0470.93–0.18000
Grassroots Democratic Party11,5050.76–0.8908,3420.55–0.72000
The Greys6,4470.43–0.26000
Team Todenhöfer6,3260.42–0.61000
Grey Panthers6,2750.41–0.08000
Pirate Party Germany1,1840.08–0.0105,1450.34–0.07000
Climate List Berlin4,1030.27–0.16000
Free Voters5,6660.37–0.5603,9230.26–0.58000
Renters' Party9730.06±0.0003,9020.26+0.03000
Party for Health Research3,7680.25–0.02000
The Urbans. A HipHop Party6140.04±0.0002,9930.20±0.00000
The Humanists2,6590.18–0.03000
German Communist Party2,5170.17+0.04000
Bildet Berlin!1,7900.12–0.02000
Ecological Democratic Party6430.04–0.0201,6740.11–0.02000
National Democratic Party5660.04–0.0101,5910.10–0.03000
Bergpartei, die "ÜberPartei"1,1370.07–0.02000
Socialist Equality Party8010.05+0.02000
The Pinks/Alliance 21360.00±0.0007860.05±0.00000
Liberal Conservative Reformers3820.03–0.0204750.03–0.04000
Civil Rights Movement Solidarity4090.03±0.00000
Human World1630.01±0.00000
The New Democrats690.00–0.00000
The Republicans150.00±0.000440.00±0.00000
German Conservative160.00±0.00000
The Women1110.01±0.00000
Liberal Democrats300.00±0.00000
Democratic Left220.00±0.00000
Independents6290.04–0.02000
Total1,514,567100.00781,516,860100.0081159+12
Valid votes1,514,56799.021,516,86099.17
Invalid/blank votes14,9910.9812,6980.83
Total votes1,529,558100.001,529,558100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,431,77662.902,431,77662.90
Source:
Popular vote
CDU
28.23%
SPD
18.39%
GRÜNE
18.39%
LINKE
12.20%
AfD
9.09%
FDP
4.64%
Other
9.06%
Abgeordnetenhaus seats
CDU
32.70%
SPD
21.38%
GRÜNE
21.38%
LINKE
13.84%
AfD
10.69%

By constituency

Constituency Personal vote List vote
Previous member Elected member  % Margin CDU SPD Grüne Linke AfD FDP Other
Mitte 1 Silke Gebel Silke Gebel 33.511.6 20.615.230.612.84.18.08.7
Mitte 2 Max Landero Lucas Schaal 24.93.4 24.217.619.517.67.16.27.8
Mitte 3 Jian Omar Jian Omar 22.010.7 22.218.428.112.44.66.18.1
Mitte 4 Taylan Kurt Taylan Kurt 40.122.6 15.614.734.316.84.63.810.2
Mitte 5 Mathias Schulz Sven Rissmann 24.41.9 24.118.421.714.18.53.210.1
Mitte 6 Tuba Bozkurt Tuba Bozkurt 32.010.9 14.714.828.721.55.42.812.0
Mitte 7 Laura Neugebauer Laura Neugebauer 30.110.8 17.816.428.517.65.63.510.7
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 1 Katrin Schmidberger Katrin Schmidberger 40.323.1 14.316.137.017.42.63.89.0
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 2 Marianne Burkert-Eulitz Marianne Burkert-Eulitz 37.910.8 10.212.738.324.42.02.410.0
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 3 Turgut Altuğ Turgut Altuğ 35.115.3 14.415.832.921.62.92.410.1
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 4 Damiano Valgolio Damiano Valgolio 24.72.4 18.217.122.421.56.93.610.4
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 5 Vasili Franco Vasili Franco 36.114.2 11.113.533.921.94.23.312.0
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 6 Julian Schwarze Julian Schwarze 39.619.8 12.212.836.520.13.44.210.8
Pankow 1 Johannes Kraft Johannes Kraft 41.625.8 33.616.29.411.017.03.49.4
Pankow 2 Torsten Hofer Lars Bocian 31.412.3 29.617.614.211.913.14.49.2
Pankow 3 Oda Hassepaß Oda Hassepaß 24.83.3 20.317.123.016.69.23.410.4
Pankow 4 Dennis Buchner Dirk Stettner 30.210.4 28.918.012.114.313.63.29.9
Pankow 5 Louis Krüger Louis Krüger 22.11.3 20.617.419.617.610.43.111.3
Pankow 6 Andreas Otto Andreas Otto 41.623.3 12.113.237.819.13.54.39.9
Pankow 7 Julia Schneider Julia Schneider 30.912.5 16.114.927.518.87.33.611.8
Pankow 8 Daniela Billig Daniela Billig 37.219.0 14.413.634.318.73.95.69.6
Pankow 9 Tino Schopf Tino Schopf 25.61.3 17.717.524.618.07.94.010.3
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 1 Christian Hochgrebe Stefan Häntsch 28.35.0 27.420.820.28.88.05.49.3
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 2 Ariturel Hack Ariturel Hack 38.718.1 35.520.618.45.65.48.06.4
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 3 Petra Vandrey Petra Vandrey 29.23.1 24.120.727.310.14.26.37.3
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 4 Christoph Wapler Aldona Niemczyk 28.62.6 27.920.124.28.24.78.06.8
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 5 Sandra Khalatbari Sandra Khalatbari 42.322.2 39.018.816.05.25.49.95.7
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 6 Alexander Kaas Elias Peer Mock-Stümer 29.23.6 27.621.624.28.64.47.06.6
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf 7 Florian Dörstelmann Stefanie Bung 34.210.3 31.922.120.17.35.56.36.8
Spandau 1 Sebahat Atli Bettina Meißner 37.312.8 37.222.29.64.812.24.19.9
Spandau 2 Raed Saleh Ersin Nas 33.27.2 33.923.09.85.612.83.811.1
Spandau 3 Stephan Machulik Kerstin Brauner 34.410.5 34.421.212.15.910.84.511.0
Spandau 4 Heiko Melzer Heiko Melzer 45.322.3 43.921.27.83.511.34.18.3
Spandau 5 Kai Wegner Kai Wegner 46.924.9 43.920.411.23.38.56.06.8
Steglitz-Zehlendorf 1 Benedikt Lux Claudia Wein 30.21.6 28.720.523.47.65.36.57.9
Steglitz-Zehlendorf 2 Matthias Kollatz-Ahnen Tom Cywinski 31.37.2 30.121.620.77.06.06.38.3
Steglitz-Zehlendorf 3 Christian Goiny Christian Goiny 40.518.8 36.820.418.04.95.08.76.2
Steglitz-Zehlendorf 4 Cornelia Seibeld Cornelia Seibeld 41.819.7 39.021.014.84.76.66.96.9
Steglitz-Zehlendorf 5 Oliver Friederici Oliver Friederici 41.219.9 38.320.613.54.98.26.38.2
Steglitz-Zehlendorf 6 Adrian Grasse Adrian Grasse 40.019.6 36.618.819.25.44.89.55.8
Steglitz-Zehlendorf 7 Stephan Standfuß Stephan Standfuß 40.120.2 38.418.718.14.14.810.75.2
Tempelhof-Schöneberg 1 Sebastian Walter Sebastian Walter 34.412.4 21.119.331.112.34.04.77.4
Tempelhof-Schöneberg 2 Catherina Pieroth-Manelli Catherina Pieroth-Manelli 36.914.9 17.219.334.213.53.73.78.5
Tempelhof-Schöneberg 3 Orkan Özdemir Orkan Özdemir 32.126.8 23.021.930.09.14.04.77.4
Tempelhof-Schöneberg 4 Aferdita Suka Frank Luhmann 28.52.1 27.819.123.310.25.83.99.9
Tempelhof-Schöneberg 5 Lars Rauchfuß Roman Simon 40.318.0 38.520.312.16.48.74.99.1
Tempelhof-Schöneberg 6 Scott Körber Scott Körber 47.420.7 45.620.09.13.89.64.87.1
Tempelhof-Schöneberg 7 Christian Zander Christian Zander 49.630.0 47.319.29.03.68.95.46.6
Neukölln 1 André Schulze André Schulze 35.18.8 10.314.435.424.83.41.89.9
Neukölln 2 Susanna Kahlefeld Susanna Kahlefeld 34.53.8 9.714.335.825.73.41.89.4
Neukölln 3 Derya Çağlar Derya Çağlar 23.42.3 20.020.322.817.66.52.510.2
Neukölln 4 Marcel Hopp Christopher Förster 43.013.3 41.227.55.24.610.63.67.2
Neukölln 5 Nina Lerch Robin Juhnke 43.118.2 40.325.38.54.49.94.47.2
Neukölln 6 Franziska Giffey Olaf Schenk 45.315.7 43.925.25.63.610.84.26.6
Treptow-Köpenick 1 Katalin Gennburg Katalin Gennburg 25.96.6 18.315.821.320.99.83.110.8
Treptow-Köpenick 2 Lars Düsterhöft Lars Düsterhöft 29.28.2 22.120.412.416.413.53.411.7
Treptow-Köpenick 3 Ellen Haußdörfer Stefan Evers 32.713.7 30.617.48.712.217.03.610.5
Treptow-Köpenick 4 Robert Schaddach Lisa-Bettina Knack 27.23.6 28.417.911.114.513.94.39.9
Treptow-Köpenick 5 Tom Schreiber Martin Sattelkau 27.74.8 27.618.97.014.817.64.110.0
Treptow-Köpenick 6 Dunja Wolff Maik Penn 31.613.2 29.017.812.116.212.23.69.1
Marzahn-Hellersdorf 1 Gunnar Lindemann Gunnar Lindemann 28.86.8 22.915.03.516.028.02.212.3
Marzahn-Hellersdorf 2 Manuela Schmidt Olga Gauks 25.54.6 26.918.14.117.520.42.510.5
Marzahn-Hellersdorf 3 Jeannette Auricht Jeannette Auricht 25.91.2 24.615.04.314.825.22.713.4
Marzahn-Hellersdorf 4 Christian Gräff Christian Gräff 42.927.9 36.515.76.814.414.73.09.0
Marzahn-Hellersdorf 5 Katharina Günther-Wünsch Katharina Günther-Wünsch 45.029.6 40.116.27.511.513.34.07.4
Marzahn-Hellersdorf 6 Alexander Herrmann Alexander Herrmann 37.818.4 31.915.35.014.320.22.610.9
Lichtenberg 1 Danny Freymark Danny Freymark 40.820.8 34.714.04.014.420.92.19.9
Lichtenberg 2 Martin Pätzold Martin Pätzold 39.522.6 34.614.96.915.915.32.99.6
Lichtenberg 3 Claudia Engelmann Dennis Haustein 23.40.1 23.118.59.019.514.63.112.2
Lichtenberg 4 Sebastian Schlüsselburg Sebastian Schlüsselburg 27.28.1 18.016.817.321.910.73.012.3
Lichtenberg 5 Hendrikje Klein Hendrikje Klein 25.05.2 19.815.915.020.912.72.912.7
Lichtenberg 6 Andreas Geisel Lilia Usik 22.40.7 23.217.216.618.49.94.010.7
Reinickendorf 1 Bettina König Burkard Dregger 37.214.2 34.519.312.68.211.83.010.6
Reinickendorf 2 Jörg Stroedter Emine Demirbüken-Wegner 38.916.1 38.020.59.55.413.03.99.7
Reinickendorf 3 Stephan Schmidt Stephan Schmidt 44.121.8 41.720.712.93.48.35.97.1
Reinickendorf 4 Björn Wohlert Björn Wohlert 41.318.0 39.620.712.44.19.94.88.6
Reinickendorf 5 Michael Dietmann Michael Dietmann 43.821.3 41.021.86.63.914.43.88.6
Reinickendorf 6 Frank Balzer Frank Balzer 45.725.4 44.019.015.33.56.06.85.6
Berlin N/A 28.2 18.4 18.4 12.2 9.1 4.6 9.0

Government formation

Despite the CDU's strong result and insistence on a mandate to govern, the incumbent coalition of the SPD, Greens, and Left retained its majority. In the wake of the election, numerous outlets mentioned the likelihood that the CDU would remain in opposition. While preliminary results left a degree of doubt as to whether the SPD or Greens had placed second, initial talks began with a tentative assumption that the SPD had finished ahead. The CDU met separately with the SPD and Greens on 17 February for about four hours each. The atmosphere at the former was described as cool and the latter was friendly and cordial; the SPD were noted as being significantly closer to the CDU on policy compared to the Greens.[12] Further CDU–SPD and CDU–Green discussions took place the next week, as did meetings between the SPD, Greens, and Left.[13][14]

With all parties except The Left remaining publicly noncommital, speculation began to grow of a CDU-led government rather than a rapid renewal of the outgoing coalition as many expected.[15] Franziska Giffey pushed for clarification on expropriation, after the 2021 Berlin referendum, as a precondition for the SPD to join any coalition, a policy area where the CDU and SPD were noticeably close.[16] RBB suggested that Giffey could be handed a "super portfolio" in a CDU–SPD coalition.[17] The Tagesspiegel also reported that former interior minister and urban development minister Andreas Geisel of the SPD would likely not be appointed to the next cabinet, regardless of coalition, due to his failure of responsibility in overseeing the 2021 election.[18]

Polling conducted by Civey between 17 and 23 February indicated that 45% of voters preferred a CDU–SPD coalition, followed by SPD–Green–Left with 26%, and 11% for CDU–Green.[19] The final results of the election were published on 27 February, clarifying that the SPD had finished ahead of the Greens, albeit by an even narrower margin of 53 votes.[20] The Left voted on 28 February to seek a continuation of the coalition with the SPD and Greens. The three parties announced that they had come to an acceptable agreement on expropriation during the course of their discussions. Specifics were not given, but they spoke of a multi-stage process which would be based on the advice of the expert commission.[21]

On 1 March, the SPD state board voted 25 to 12 in favour of seeking coalition negotiations with the CDU.[22] The CDU board unanimously reciprocated the following day.[23] Kai Wagner stated that, while talks had been productive with the Greens, they found greater overlap with the SPD. He also said that while the two still disagreed on a number of points, he commented that "new trust" emerged during exploratory talks. He voiced willingness to compromise on the anti-discrimination law, which the CDU committed to repealing during the campaign, and called for greater tenant protection and housing construction rather than expropriation, as was approved in the 2021 referendum, to solve the housing crisis. He outlined the prospective coalition policy as ensuring the basics work, namely "making sure Berlin is a safe and clean city where police get modern equipment", with a mobility policy that works for everyone – drivers as well as cyclists and pedestrians.[7][24]

Giffey said that the decision to seek a coalition with the CDU was influenced by "respect for the election result", as well as a desire to prevent a CDU–Green coalition, under which she stated that social issues would be left behind. She described the outgoing coalition as "crisis-ridden" for which she blamed the Greens, pointing to conflict over the SPD's 29-euro ticket policy and housing construction, and accused them of a lack of respect for her leadership. The Greens and Left expressed outrage at the SPD's decision; both stated that they were not informed before the public announcement and that another round of talks had already been agreed on. Bettina Jarasch accused them of "slamming the door" and Silke Gebel described their actions as a breach of trust. Katina Schubert called it "incomprehensible", while Klaus Lederer said that responsibility lay solely with the SPD, saying "there is nothing insurmountable [between the parties]". The SPD's youth branch Jusos also spoke out in strong opposition to a coalition with the CDU, with chairman Peter Maaß describing the party as a real estate lobby. The group announced they would campaign to reject the coalition agreement when presented to the party membership for approval.[24][25]

The CDU and SPD working groups began negotiations on 13 March. They planned to conclude a coalition pact within three weeks to give the SPD time for its membership vote, and install the new government at the start of May. Giffey clarified the same day that, if negotiations failed, the SPD would not resume talks with the Greens and Left but go into opposition and force the CDU and Greens to form government instead.[26] The CDU and SPD presented the 135-page coalition agreement on 3 April, titled The Best for Berlin. The terms were generally interpreted as a win for the SPD. Despite the CDU's clear lead, the new Senate was to be divided evenly with five posts for each party. The crucial portfolios of urban development and interior were given to the SPD. The agreement also featured a number of flagship SPD policies on housing as well as the 29-euro ticket, and preserved the anti-discrimination law and automatic minimum wage increases, both of which the CDU had sought to repeal. This was attributed in part to the requirement that the SPD membership approve the coalition, which may have enticed the CDU to make further concessions.[27][28][29]

The results of the SPD membership ballot were announced on 23 April. The coalition pact was approved by a narrow margin of 54.3%.[30] Of 18,556 members, 11,866 voted, corresponding to a turnout of 63.9%. 6,179 voted in favour and 5,200 voted against.[31][32] The agreement was unanimously approved by the CDU at a party conference the following day and officially signed by both parties.[33] Wegner was elected as mayor by the Abgeordnetenhaus on 27 April. He failed to win on the first two ballots, likely due to dissenting SPD deputies refusing to support him.[34][35] After the second ballot, the parliamentary elder council was convened to clarify procedure and legal questions, since a third ballot for Governing Mayor had never taken place before. The Greens and Left unsuccessfully requested that the ballot be postponed.[36] Wegner was successful on the third ballot with 86 votes in favour, corresponding to the number of seats held by the incoming coalition. He received 70 votes against and three abstentions. The AfD claimed to have voted for him on the third ballot, criticising what they called the coalition's "obvious inability" to create majorities and insisting they were taking on responsibility. Wegner rejected the suggestion that he garnered any support from AfD deputies, as did the SPD faction, who described the AfD's claims as disinformation. Since the voting was conducted via secret ballot, the AfD's claim cannot be verified, and it is unclear whether Wegner relied on their votes for his election.[8][37][38]

Governing Mayor election
Kai Wegner (CDU)[39]
Ballot → 27 April 2023
Required majority → 80 out of 159 80 out of 159 Simple majority
For
71 / 159
☒
79 / 159
☒
86 / 159
check
Against
86 / 159
79 / 159
70 / 159
Abstentions
1 / 159
1 / 159
3 / 159
Invalid
1 / 159
0 / 159
0 / 159

References

  1. 1 2 "Berlin state elections declared void". Deutsche Welle. 16 November 2022.
  2. "Verfassungsgerichtshof des Landes Berlin erklärt die Wahlen zum 19. Berliner Abgeordnetenhaus und den Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen vom 26. September 2021 für ungültig" (in German). 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  3. Christian Rath (6 January 2023), "Nach dem Berliner Wahlchaos: Karlsruhe hat die Wahl", Die Tageszeitung: Taz, ISSN 0931-9085, retrieved 6 January 2023
  4. Pressemitteilung Nr. 13/2023 des Bundesverfassungsgerichts zum Beschluss mit dem Az. 2 BvR 2189/22
  5. "Das sollten Sie zu den Wahlwiederholungen in Berlin wissen". Rbb24.de (in German). Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  6. "Berlin: Conservatives projected to win repeated vote". Deutsche Welle. 13 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 "CDU board votes for coalition negotiations with SPD". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 2 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Ex-insurance salesman elected unlikely mayor of Berlin". France 24. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Elections". Berlin.de (in German). 19 January 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  10. "Why Berlin has two dates for the election repeats". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 20 October 2022.
  11. "New date on February 12, 2023: Berlin election must be repeated completely due to glitches". Tagesspiegel (in German). 16 November 2022.
  12. "Day one in the Berlin coalition poker: CDU campaigns for the Greens - cool reception for the SPD". Tagesspiegel (in German). 17 February 2023.
  13. "After the Berlin election: is the black-green coalition coming?". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 23 February 2023.
  14. "Berlin SPD wants to continue exploring with the Left and Greens on Thursday". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 21 February 2023.
  15. "Berlin election: Kai Wegner's chances of winning the Red City Hall are increasing every day". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 25 February 2023.
  16. "Condition for joining the coalition: Giffey is pushing for an agreement on expropriations in Berlin". Tagesspiegel (in German). 24 February 2023.
  17. "Franziska Giffey after the Berlin election: fateful days of a ruler". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 25 February 2023.
  18. "Talks between the SPD, the Greens and the Left: Another coalition in Berlin only without Andreas Geisel". Tagesspiegel (in German). 24 February 2023.
  19. "Clear majority for change of power in Berlin". T-Online (in German). 28 February 2023.
  20. "Final result of the Berlin election: SPD only 53 votes ahead of the Greens". ZDF (in German). 27 February 2023.
  21. "Possible change of government: Berlin left warns of "social rollback"". Tagesspiegel (in German). 28 February 2023.
  22. "GroKo for Berlin? CDU and SPD want to form a coalition". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 2 March 2023.
  23. "Berlin CDU leadership officially votes for coalition negotiations with the SPD". Der Spiegel (in German). 2 March 2023.
  24. 1 2 "Wegner sees "significantly more intersections": Berlin's CDU wants coalition negotiations with the SPD". Tagesspiegel (in German). 2 March 2023.
  25. "Giffey defends decision for GroKo – and hands out against Greens". Die Welt (in German). 2 March 2023.
  26. "Working groups start negotiations for a black-red coalition agreement". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 13 March 2023.
  27. "Black-red alliance: What is in the Berlin coalition agreement". ZDF (in German). 3 April 2023.
  28. "Black-red harmony - and a "residual risk"". Tagesschau (in German). 3 April 2023.
  29. "Forming a government in Berlin: How to look at the coalition agreement in the CDU". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 5 April 2023.
  30. "Scholz party paves way for new center-right mayor in Berlin". Associated Press. 23 April 2023.
  31. "Member vote: SPD members vote for coalition with CDU". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 23 April 2023.
  32. "A narrow majority of the Berlin SPD votes for a coalition with the CDU". Die Zeit (in German). 23 April 2023.
  33. "Knappe Mehrheit: Berliner SPD stimmt für Koalition mit CDU" [Narrow majority: Berlin SPD votes for coalition with CDU]. ZDF (in German). 24 April 2023.
  34. "Berlin's first conservative mayor in 22 years takes office". New Haven Register. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  35. Admin (27 April 2023). "Berlin: Wegner becomes the new mayor in the third ballot". News in Germany. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  36. "CDU state chairman Wegner elected governing mayor in the third ballot". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 27 April 2023.
  37. "Wegner elected governing mayor". Tagesschau (in German). 27 April 2023.
  38. "Twice without the required majority: Kai Wegner was elected Governing Mayor of Berlin in the third ballot". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 27 April 2023.
  39. Sources for each ballot:
    1. "Kai Wegner fails in the first round of the mayoral election". Die Zeit (in German). 27 April 2023.
    2. "Berlin CDU leader Wegner also fails in the second round of election to head of government". Stern (in German). 27 April 2023.
    3. "Wegner elected governing mayor". Tagesschau (in German). 27 April 2023.
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