VOTERS IN the German capital are expected to provide one final political humiliation for German chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition partners tomorrow.
After a long series of state election disasters, the Free Democrats (FDP) are poised to crash out of Berlin’s city-state parliament following local elections.
Making matters worse, the party are likely to be replaced by a band of political novices known as the Pirate Party.
After a cheeky campaign focused on civil rights, data protection and internet censorship “Die Piraten” – part of a Europe-wide movement – overtook the FDP to hit 9 per cent support in a final opinion poll.
The FDP’s struggle for political survival at federal level is mirrored in the German capital. A defeat here would be more a psychological than a practical setback – Berlin state politics are of little significance nationally. The real winner of the election is already clear: the 57-year-old incumbent Social Democrat (SPD) mayor, Klaus Wowereit. With a clear lead in polls, he will have his choice of partners on Sunday evening.
Though likely to agree a third term with the post-communist Left Party, he has other options: both the opposition Green Party and Christian Democrats (CDU) are expected to do well.
Taking a leaf from Chancellor Merkel’s 2009 re-election campaign, the Berlin SPD ran a campaign based almost exclusively around the easy-going popularity of the mayor. The SPD will use a strong result as proof that they are ready to return to power nationally and Mr Wowereit may even consider throwing his hat into the ring to challenge the chancellor.
To visiting dignitaries, the party-loving mayor likes to describe Berlin as “poor but sexy” – a nod to the continued economic weakness of the once-divided city.
Unemployment has dropped five points in recent years to 11 per cent, as young creative types from around the world flood in.
An explosion in tourist numbers has brought much-needed revenues for the cash-strapped capital, with debts nearing €70 billion.
But the city’s rising popularity is pushing up prices, sparking concern among the city’s creative industry that Berlin may soon lose its lustre as a cheap, creative playground, Europe’s big easy.