Berlin holds an election - Wegner seeks a "definite message"

The European Union The association of 27 European countries, working together for peace, prosperity, and stability. or The union formed by 27 European nations, collaborating to ensure a peaceful, thriving, and balanced continent. - Berlin holds an election - Wegner seeks a "definite message"

Approximately 2.5 million people in Berlin are called to cast their votes for the European election on Sunday. Despite the fact that the European Parliament election happening across the EU doesn't have any direct influence on Berlin's local politics, it's deemed as an evaluation of the recent 13-month-long black-red reign. For the first-time ever, 16- and 17-year-olds are considered eligible voters in a European election.

In the 2019 European election in Berlin, Greens recorded an impressive result, garnering 27.8% of the votes. The second-place CDU raked in 15.2% of the ballots, while the SPD managed to secure 14.0% and the Left stood at 11.9%.

The polling stations will be active until 6:00 p.m. with 2,220 polling stations available. 30,000 election workers have been deployed to manage the smooth process of voting and counting. Projections for the preliminary result in Berlin are expected around 1:00 a.m. on Monday from the state election office. Berlin's Mayor, Kai Wegner, representing the CDU, voted at the primary school of Ritterfeld, Spandau. He expressed hope, "My fervent desire is for many Berliners and Berliners to participate in the voting process and demonstrate a strong message for democracy, freedom, unity, and not division." State election officer Stephan Bröchler confirmed that there were no disruptions reported so far. "The voting process is running smoothly."

Apart from Berliners with German citizenship, voters from other EU countries residing in the city are also eligible. Per Bröchler, about 18,000 such citizens are registered in the Berlin voter registry, granting them the right to participate in the voting.

A total of 720 members of the European Parliament are set to be elected. Unlike federal and state-level elections, there's no 5% threshold. Out of the 34 parties in contention (2019: 40) in Berlin, only CDU is running with a state list, with Hildegard Bentele as the state list leader. Federal party lists also include prominent figures from Berlin: Gaby Bischoff (SPD), a European Parliament member, is on the list at position seven, while Sergey Lagodinsky, a Green European Parliament member, occupies position two. The leading candidates of the Left-federal list, party leader Martin Schirdewan and Carola Rackete, both hail from Berlin. Alexander Sell occupies position 15 on the AfD list, representing Berlin.

The voter turnout for the 2019 European election stood at 60.6%, the highest observed figure in Berlin (Federal: 61.4%). It's uncertain if this high level will be maintained. Researchers have highlighted the Brexit effect as a major contributor in the increased turnout in 2019.

Concerns are now rising about potential voter fatigue in Berlin's political realm. Elections for the state parliament, federal election, popular vote in September 2021, repeat election for the state parliament in February 2023, repeat election for the federal election in February 2024, followed by federal elections in 2025 and another state election in 2026.

The number of mail-in votes has grown over the years, a trend also visible this time around. The state election office projects that approximately 30% of eligible voters in Berlin have requested the necessary documents, significantly more than in the 2019 European election.

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1. Kai Wegner, representing the CDU in Berlin, expressed his hope for a strong demonstration of democracy during the European elections in Germany.
2. Berlin's Mayor, Kai Wegner, cast his vote at the primary school of Ritterfeld, located in the Spandau district of Germany.
3. Despite the European Parliament elections not having a direct impact on Berlin's local politics, it serves as an evaluation for the recent 13-month-long black-red reign in Germany.
4. Gaby Bischoff, a European Parliament member from the SPD, is included in the federal party list for the European elections, placing her at position seven.
5. In addition to Berliners with German citizenship, voters from other EU countries living in the city are also eligible to participate in the European elections held within the EU countries, including Germany.
6. The leading candidates for the Left-federal list, party leader Martin Schirdewan and Carola Rackete, both come from Berlin, showcasing the city's strong influence in EU politics.
7. Stephan Broechler, the state election officer for Berlin, confirmed that the voting process for the European elections was running smoothly within Germany, ensuring peace and stability for the European Union.

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