Why Berlin had to repeat its entire state election after a chaotic 2021 vote
In short: In a rare democratic do-over, Berlin held a repeat state election on 12 February 2023. The original 2021 results were voided after the Constitutional Court of the State of Berlin identified systemic failures, including missing ballots and voters being turned away, forcing the city to restart its entire legislative process.
The 2021 election, held on 26 September, was marred by significant logistical breakdowns. Reports of ballot paper shortages, excessive queues, and misdirected voting materials led to a formal investigation. The sitting members of the Abgeordnetenhaus remained in office during this interim period, as the court's decision did not reset the five-year legislative term.
The repeat election saw a major shift in political momentum. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) secured 28% of the vote, marking its strongest performance since 1999. Conversely, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey, recorded its lowest result in over a century with 18.4%. Despite the CDU's clear mandate, the incumbent coalition of the SPD, Greens, and The Left initially retained a mathematical majority. However, the SPD opted to pivot, initiating negotiations with the CDU to form a grand coalition.
The transition was fraught with tension. SPD members narrowly approved the coalition pact with 54.3% of the vote. When Kai Wegner was put forward as mayor on 27 April 2023, he failed to secure a majority on the first two ballots. He eventually succeeded on the third, though the process was complicated by claims from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) that they had provided the deciding votes—a claim both the SPD and Wegner vehemently rejected as disinformation. The resulting 135-page agreement, titled The Best for Berlin, saw the CDU make significant policy concessions to the SPD to secure the partnership.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2023 Berlin state election
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