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Berlin must partially repeat federal election, top German court rules

After the disastrous elections in Berlin in 2021, Germany's top court has ruled on the number of districts in the capital that will have to repeat the vote for the Bundestag.

Published: 19 December 2023 10:59 CET
Voters queue in Berlin during the election chaos in 2021.
Voters queue in Berlin during the election chaos in 2021. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hauke-Christian Dittrich

A dispute has been ongoing between the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) and Germany’s ‘traffic-light’ coalition government, made up of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Free Democrats (FDP), on how many districts in Berlin will have to take part in a repeat vote for the federal elections of 2021. 

And on Tuesday, Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled that 455 districts in the German capital will have to invite voters to the polls again after chaos on election day more than two years ago.

This is 31 districts more than agreed upon by the Bundestag last year, but far fewer than the 1,200 that the CDU argued for.

The original vote, which took place in September 2021, saw widespread problems, mostly caused by the Berlin marathon taking place on the same day.

Some voters were queuing for hours, and some polling stations ran out of ballot papers.

With this ruling the Constitutional Court said it wanted to set standards for the future by clarifying how to deal with missing ballot papers or voting after 6pm in case of problems.

Berlin sees yet another repeat election

This news may sound familiar to Local readers. For those wondering if it’s “Deja-vu all over again” and “didn’t Berlin do this already?”, you’d be correct. Berlin repeated its state election at the start of this year, leading to a CDU-led government in the city state and the end of the Red-Red-Green left wing coalition, made up of the Social Democrats, the Left party and the Greens. 

READ ALSO: How Berlin is getting its first conservative-led government in decades

But the latest ruling only deals with the federal election and so will not impact the makeup of Berlin’s Abgeordnetenhaus (House of Representatives).

It could, however, impact the makeup of the German parliament (Bundestag) at a time when tensions in the governing coalition are higher than ever, with the neoliberal Free Democrats even holding a survey of its members on whether to leave government.

The new vote will have to be held by February 11th 2024. 

PODCAST: Has a decade of the AfD changed Germany, and why is Berlin repeating elections?

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BERLIN

Warning of toxic smoke after fire breaks out at Berlin factory

More than 180 firefighters wearing protective suits were on Friday tackling a major blaze at a metal technology firm in Berlin's Lichterfelde area as authorities warned of toxic smoke.

Published: 3 May 2024 16:35 CEST
Updated: 3 May 2024 18:08 CEST
Warning of toxic smoke after fire breaks out at Berlin factory

The blaze broke out in the first floor of metal technology factory ‘Diehl Metal Applications’ on the Stichkanal in Lichterfelde, south-west Berlin around 10:30 am.

On Friday afternoon, a fire brigade spokesperson said an area of over 2,000 square metres was on fire in the four-storey building.

As of 5 pm, the fire was reportedly still not under control.

According to the spokesman, the fire had spread to the roof, with parts of the building collapsing.

As the company also stores and processes chemicals in various quantities, there are concerns over harmful fumes in the smoke. 

“We can confirm that chemicals are also burning in the building,” said the fire service. “Sulphuric acid and copper cyanide were stored there. There is a risk of hydrogen cyanide forming and rising into the air with the smoke.”

Hydrogen cyanide is a highly toxic substance.

The Berlin state government said that residents “in the affected areas of the toxic fumes caused by the fire” were warned through the NINA warning app at midday.

People walk in the area near the fire in Berlin on Friday. Residents have been urged to stay inside and keep their windows closed.

People walk in the area near the fire in Berlin on Friday. Residents have been urged to stay inside and keep their windows closed. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

The Berlin fire department also said on X that people in a large area of Berlin and the outskirts, shown on the map in this tweet, should keep their windows and doors closed, turn off air conditioning and avoid smoky areas. People have also been asked to avoid the area. It includes a large part of the Grunewald forest. 

In the immediate vicinity, hazardous substances had been measured. According to a fire and rescue spokesperson, no injuries have been reported. 

A spokesman for Diehl Metall, to which the plant belongs, said on request that the chemicals mentioned were also only kept in small quantities at the plant.

According to the Diehl spokesman, the location is used for electroplating parts for the automotive industry. The Diehl Group is a large arms company; however, no armaments were produced at the Berlin plant, Nitz said.

Emergency response authorities requested the help of the in-house fire brigade from the firm Bayer, which is familiar with fighting against chemical fires, Berlin newspaper Tagesspeigel reported. 

Which areas are most affected?

Pupils and teachers from nearby schools have been sent home as a precaution, while several shops around the site have closed. 

On Friday afternoon, a warning message popped up on many mobile phones with a shrill sound, according to which there is “extreme danger”.

“After evaluating the weather conditions and the corresponding wind direction, the flue gases move from the scene of the incident in a northerly direction,” the fire department told the German Press Agency (DPA).

Flames seen at the fire in Berlin's Lichterfelde on Friday.

Flames seen at the fire in Berlin’s Lichterfelde on Friday. Shops around the area closed. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christoph Soeder

According to the fire department spokesman, however, it was not initially clear at what distance the smoke could still be hazardous to health.

Parents of students at the Fichtenberg-Gymnasium in Steglitz received an e-mail stating that classes had been stopped and all students had been sent home. However, the local Abitur or end of school leaving exams continued with the windows closed.

Surrounding roads were closed while flames leapt into the sky, according to a DPA reporter on site.

A neighbouring supermarket was completely enveloped in white smoke. The surrounding area is a mixture of commercial area, allotments, housing estates and shopping centre. According to eyewitnesses, the smoke appeared to be heading north.

The fire department published a map on which the affected areas are marked. Parts of Spandau, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Reinickendorf, among others, can be seen. People should avoid the affected area and drive around it as much as possible, the fire department suggested. Even if no smoke is visible, windows and doors should remain closed and ventilation and air conditioning systems should be switched off, it said.

In the immediate vicinity of the fire, the police made announcements with a megaphone and called on people to leave the streets, go home and keep windows closed.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. 

With reporting by DPA, Paul Krantz and Rachel Loxton.

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