The leftist parties in Berlin, including the Left Party, the Greens, and the Social Democrats (SPD), have revealed details of the policies they hope will be approved by their party members if an alliance is established.
Public Housing Provision
Among the proposed policies, the leftist state government of Berlin could place around 160,000 apartments under public ownership. Elif Eralp, from the Left Party, who is seeking to lead Berlin, announced that this agreement will impact five companies, including Germany's largest real estate company, Vonovia.
This agreement comes as high housing costs have become one of the main issues for voters, a matter that the Left Party focused its election campaign on. Rental costs in Berlin have risen sharply in recent years, and public apartments are not available.
New Construction Plans
Eralp also announced that the three parties have agreed on a very ambitious new construction plan for public housing, in which they hope to receive permits for 100,000 new units by 2031. This project is designed to provide 100,000 new and affordable apartments.
The coalition hopefuls have also committed to implementing a rent ceiling for public apartments. Meanwhile, Volker Beck, head of the German-Israeli Society, has strongly criticized the potential formation of a left/green/SPD coalition in Berlin, describing the Left Party as "a group of anti-Zionists."
Beck's criticisms were made in an interview with a national German network that is set to air on Sunday. In this interview, he stated that anti-Zionism constitutes the identity of some members of the Left Party in Berlin, and this situation is very dangerous for society.
Leaders of the leftist, green, and social democratic parties concluded exploratory talks on Saturday, four weeks after the state and local elections in which the Left Party was a major winner. This party was recognized as the main winner with 25.7% of the vote.
Voting to approve this agreement will begin in the various parties. The Green Party will vote on Monday, and the Left Party will vote on October 31.
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