Two months before the repeat elections in Berlin, the top candidates from five parties were arguing about ways to modernize the capital’s administration. “The organized irresponsibility in the city must come to an end,” said CDU state and parliamentary group leader Kai Wegner at a discussion event of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation that was declared an “elephant round” on Friday evening. “We need a clear definition of who is responsible for what.” For this it is necessary to turn “the big wheel”.
FDP faction leader and top candidate Sebastian Czaja promoted his party’s idea of ​​abolishing the district offices and instead creating “senate branches” as service points in the districts. “We want to strengthen citizen service,” he said.
Environment Senator Bettina Jarasch, as the top woman for the Greens for the February 12 election, rejected the idea, which she believes is centralization. “Never in my life” will that be implemented. Administrative reform is necessary. “We have to get to the point.” The Greens are in favor of a clearer division of tasks between the state and districts and a “political district office”. This means that district mayors and city councilors will in future be elected to a greater extent than before according to the election results for the district parliaments.
The Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey from the SPD also called for a “political district office” and for a corresponding constitutional amendment. In addition, the Senate is already pushing ahead with an administrative reform. “What do you think we’ve been working on for a year?” she asked. The reform proposals include a law on the tasks of the Senate and districts. “The steps for this are prepared.”
Left parliamentary group leader Carsten Schatz, who represented top candidate and Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer, pointed out that the debate about administrative modernization in Berlin was not new. “I don’t think our problem is that there are a million ideas. The problem is the execution.” That’s why he would appreciate it if the necessary changes were actually implemented, says Schatz.
