Berlin AfD Confident Ahead of September Elections, Nominates Governing Mayor Candidate
Berlin, May 30 – With less than four months until the election for the Berlin House of Representatives on September 20, the Berlin AfD is demonstrating new self-confidence. At a party conference held in Brandenburg/Havel, Kristin Brinker, who was already elected as the lead candidate in 2025, was also nominated as a candidate for the office of Governing Mayor. This symbolic vote was conducted by most of the attending AfD members rising from their seats.
Brinker Predicts Election Victory and ‘New Beginning’ for Berlin
Recent polls show the AfD as the second strongest party, with an upward trend. Brinker set the goal of securing first place in the election. “In Berlin, we want to and will become the strongest force, I guarantee that,” she stated. Currently, the AfD holds only the fifth-largest parliamentary group in the parliament, a situation they aim to change in September.
“Never before has the longing of the people for a complete new beginning been as great as it is today,” Brinker asserted, claiming that a new beginning is only possible with the AfD. “We want to govern our city.” However, a government participation is unrealistic, as no other party is willing to form a coalition with the AfD.
Brinker’s Critical View of Berlin and Accusations Against Governing Mayor
Brinker painted a picture of Berlin as a city in decline, citing issues such as malfunctioning public transport, dilapidated schools, other public buildings, streets, and bridges. “In some parts of the city, hatred and violence prevail in public spaces.” She also highlighted a housing shortage, high refugee costs, and a lack of funds elsewhere.
She placed the blame on the head of the city hall, Kai Wegner (CDU), referring to him as a “liar.” “Governing Mayor Kai Wegner is the prime example of this alarming decay. Both politically and personally,” Brinker commented. She recalled that Wegner played tennis for an hour on the first day of the major power outage in southwestern Berlin in early January and initially concealed it. She added that there are still open questions regarding his crisis management. “This man has not only failed politically, he has failed morally. The city, Berlin, cannot afford such a liar.”
AfD’s Key Policy Areas: Housing, Security, Migration, and Education
In their election program, which was largely approved by the members at the party conference, the AfD focuses on housing, security, migration, and education. For example, they demand priority allocation of communal housing to people who have lived in Berlin for a longer period. “Apartments are not asylum shelters, and they are not for asylum seekers,” Brinker stated. Instead, she believes they should be for “contributors,” “working Berliners” such as craftsmen, firefighters, police officers, or salespeople.
“Remigration” and Curfews Among AfD’s Proposals
The program also calls for a halt to the intake of asylum seekers in Berlin. “The AfD pursues a comprehensive policy of remigration, which includes both repatriations of those obliged to leave the country and voluntary return programs,” it further states. The party plans to transform the State Office for Immigration into a “State Office for Immigration, Asylum and Remigration,” with a “clear priority on repatriations.”
To combat crime, the AfD proposes increased video surveillance in areas with high crime rates, more police checks without cause in “problem areas,” and night curfews for juvenile repeat offenders. A new district police force is intended to support the state police, and a special unit within the immigration authorities will consolidate and accelerate the expulsion and deportation of foreign criminals.
Focus on Discipline, Performance, and School Reforms
According to the AfD, the German flag should fly at every Berlin school, and German as the language of instruction should be consistently enforced. The AfD advocates for learning connected cursive writing and wants to ban gender-neutral language in schools. The party also wants to “bring back discipline and a willingness to perform,” suggesting that character grades or school agreements on discipline could contribute to this. For disruptive students, “timeout rooms” are proposed.
The AfD supports a direct election of the Governing Mayor by Berlin citizens to remove the office from “party haggling,” as Brinker put it. However, this would require a two-thirds majority to amend the constitution. The party also wants to introduce a “people’s objection” similar to the Swiss model, with the aim of “reversing bad laws.”
AfD’s Growing Support and Challenges in Finding Venues
In the repeat election for the Berlin House of Representatives in February 2023, the AfD received 9.1 percent of the second votes. In recent polls, they have been at 17 or 18 percent, only slightly behind the leading CDU, which is at 19 or 20 percent. The SPD, Greens, and Left are just behind or on par with the AfD.
For their party conference, the Berlin AfD had to relocate to neighboring Brandenburg for the umpteenth time. The reason: they cannot find suitable premises in the capital.
