Berlin elects Kai Wegner as its new mayor, assuming the city's leadership role.
In a dramatic turn of events in the political landscape of Berlin, Kai Wegner, a prominent figure from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), faced a series of challenges during his bid for the position of governing mayor. The election process, which spanned multiple rounds, saw Wegner fall short of the required votes in the initial round.
The first vote on Thursday saw Wegner receive 71 votes in his favour, whereas 86 deputies voted against him. This initial setback prompted a series of consultations among the factions, leading to a suspension of the session for half an hour.
The Berlin Tenants' Association, however, sent their congratulations to the new state government under Wegner, despite the uncertainty surrounding his election. The grand coalition in Berlin, consisting of the CDU and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), had been unable to elect Wegner in the first round of voting.
The SPD, which forms part of the coalition, has been subject to criticism regarding the election process. Former finance senator Matthias Kollatz (SPD) expressed concerns about the appointment of state secretaries, stating that experience and quality were not prioritised in the appointments. Additionally, only 54.3% of SPD members voted in favour of the coalition agreement, raising questions about the party's internal support.
The second round of voting saw Wegner again fail to reach the quorum with 79 votes. The AfD had announced that it would vote for Wegner in the third round, but the specific details about subsequent voting rounds are not entirely clear.
The election fiasco has drawn comparisons with past elections, specifically Klaus Wowereit's (SPD) failure in the first round of voting in 2006 and Heide Simonis' (SPD) failure in four rounds in the 2005 election for Minister President in Schleswig-Holstein.
The Left party, which received the most votes in Berlin and won the West district of Neukölln for the first time, has been critical of the chaotic election. Katina Schubert, an MP from The Left, stated that the factions are divided and neither the faction nor the party chairmen have any authority.
Despite the challenges, Wegner has shown resilience, accepting the election despite having sharply criticised the CDU faction in Thuringia in 2020. Wegner also aims to prevent the Merz law in the Bundesrat, a potential point of contention in the coalition.
The session was suspended again for another one and a half hours before it was clear that Wegner had succeeded with 86 votes. The election process, while complex, ultimately resulted in Wegner becoming the governing mayor of Berlin, marking a significant moment in the city's political history.
The complex election process for the governing mayor of Berlin, involving multiple rounds of voting, saw Kai Wegner, despite facing criticism, maintain his bid and eventually secure 86 votes. The political landscape, with its policy-and-legislation decisions and general-news events, provided a backdrop to Wegner's uncertain journey to becoming the mayor, involving consultations among factions, suspensions of sessions, and FActions' criticism.
