Berlin – After the successful referendum on the socialization of apartments, the initiative to expropriate Deutsche Wohnen und Co is pushing for the citizens’ will to be swiftly implemented. A corresponding draft law could be introduced into the House of Representatives in the spring of next year, said the initiative’s spokesman, Rouzbeh Taheri on Monday. For the initiative it is important that the decision of the referendum is implemented to take all measures for a socialization of the apartments. That was “a clear mandate,” said Taheri, and meant that the referendum should not be used to enforce other measures.
At the referendum on Sunday, a majority of Berliners voted in favor of the association of apartments in large real estate groups. According to information from the office of the regional returning officer, 56.4 percent voted for the expropriation of apartments, 39 percent refused. A total of 1,034,709 Berliners voted yes, 715,214 voted no. The condition that, in addition to a majority, 25 percent of those eligible to vote must also vote yes for the referendum to be successful was also met.
The proportion of yes votes was particularly high in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg with a good 72 percent. In the middle, around 64 percent voted for socialization. Wherever the “pressure of the rent madness” is particularly great and incomes are low, there has been “above-average approval,” said Taheri. Wherever incomes are high, for example in single-family home areas, approval was lower. With the worst result, in Steglitz-Zehlendorf, the approval is still 44 percent.
Tenants’ association speaks of brilliant success
The aim of the Deutsche Wohnen & Co initiative is to socialize the holdings of private companies with more than 3,000 apartments in Berlin. The initiative refers to Article 15 of the Basic Law. It is formulated therein that “land, natural resources and means of production” for the purpose of socialization can be transferred by law to common property or other forms of public economy – in return for compensation. The estimates for compensation, which relate to 243,000 apartments, range between ten to eleven billion euros, which the initiative uses, and 36 billion, with which the Senate has calculated.
While the Berlin tenants ‘association describes the referendum as a “brilliant success of the Deutsche Wohnen und Co. expropriating initiative” and calls for the citizens’ vote to be implemented, the real estate industry associations are concerned. The head of the Association of Berlin-Brandenburg Housing Companies (BBU) Maren Kern said that although the referendum on expropriation got a majority, almost 40 percent of Berliners voted against it. Nevertheless, the result of the decision must now be “dealt with”.
It is important “not to deepen the division of the city,” said Kern. “That is why we need an open and honest discussion about how things should go on in Berlin’s housing policy now,” she said. Berlin’s housing problem cannot be solved by expropriations, but only through joint efforts for more living space. To do this, everyone would have to pull together. The best way to do this would be with an “alliance for new buildings and living”.
Giffey wants to draft a law
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) made a similar statement. “Although the majority of the people’s decision on expropriation was approved, the majority also voted for parties that reject expropriations,” said IHK President Daniel-Jan Girl. “From our point of view, this is above all a clear signal for the future coalition to finally provide noticeable relief from the tense market when it comes to housing construction and rent policy.”
The parties reacted differently to the referendum. SPD top candidate Franziska Giffey spoke out on the RBB-Inforadio in favor of drafting a bill on socialization. “But this draft must then also be examined under constitutional law,” she said. The future Senate must look very carefully at what is constitutionally possible. Giffey warned that Berlin should not get another negative judgment from the Federal Constitutional Court. The highest German court had recently overturned the Berlin rent cap.
The top candidate of the Greens Bettina Jarasch said that the topic belongs in coalition negotiations. Politicians must now examine whether an implementation of the citizens’ vote for expropriations is feasible. “There are still many legal and practical questions to be clarified for such a law,” said Jarasch of the German press agency.
Initiative wants to keep the pressure going
One of the possible future government partners of the SPD, the FDP, reacted with sharp criticism to the referendum. The initiative to expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co “managed to win over enough Berliners for the initiative with flimsy arguments and questionable means,” said FDP MP Stefan Förster. “But they threw sand in the eyes of the people: That the 36 billion euros spending will lead our city to financial ruin, that thousands of jobs will be at risk and that we will run the risk of no longer paying for our city’s central public services The activists have kept quiet about that, ”said Förster.
Meanwhile, the Berlin tenants’ association made it clear that the referendum for the coalition negotiations meant “giving priority to the issue of renting and housing”. In addition, the parties must examine the constellation in which the will of the voters, which has become clear through the referendum, can be implemented.
Whatever the parties are planning: The initiative to expropriate Deutsche Wohnen und Co stated that it would “closely monitor” explorations and coalition talks and “closely monitor” how the individual parties express themselves. The initiative is certain that the will of the Berliners will not be implemented without their pressure. If the politicians do not follow the referendum in the end, there are still the means of direct democracy, said Taheri. “If politicians ignore our proposal, we are always in a position to initiate a referendum.”