Berlin elections 2006

City elections are taking place in Berlin this coming Sunday - 17th September 2006.

Berlin is a "Stadtstaat", or "city state". It is both the national capital and one of the sixteen federal states of Germany. The city and state parliament is the House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus), which has 141 seats. Berlin's executive body is the Senate of Berlin which consists of the Mayor and up to eight senators. The city Mayor is simultaneously the prime minister of the federal state. Public elections for the House of Representatives occur every five years.

Since the last elections in 2001 the house has had representatives from the SPD, CDU, Linkspartei, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, and FDP parties. The Mayor is currently Klaus Wowereit of the SPD.

Politicians from each of these parties, including current Mayor Wowereit, are out campaigning this week. Their campaign posters are to be seen all over the city. Berlin is renowned for having high levels of graffiti, so it's no surprise that the street artists have been joining the election fever.

A large collection of election graffiti can be seen on the flickr pool: Berliner Wahlplakate 2006

Photos included here by: svenwerk, squirm, and akimowitsch.

On a more serious vein: A SPD volunteer was severely beaten on Sunday by two Neo-Nazis while hanging elections posters in Alt-Marzahn. The Neo-Nazis threatened the two volunteers who tried to run away. When one tripped, the Neo-Nazis kicked him repeatedly in the head. The victim was able to crawl to a building after the attackers fled and call for help. Both were later arrested.

This is not the first incident of violence directed towards the "established" parties, the repeated attacks and threatening actions prove just how fanatic the Brownshirts (still) are and how little they respect the constitution that permits the existence of their parties.

Both attackers were sentenced this week to two years on probation. The main culprit admitted to chasing the 24-yr-old victim and kicking him in the head with heavy boots. His friend remained passive, only watching. He made the other guy stop by reminding him that they were due to meet friends. They have to pay €1000 each to the victim as damages. The victim is still afraid to leave the house alone.

Humm... they only had to pay 1000 Eur each? IMHO, That's cheap for kicking a guy in the head. 10,000 EUR each more like - and then be put into therapy AND be forced to volunteer cleaning graffiti would be a better punishment... but eh.. never happen.