2021 Berlin state election

2021 Berlin state election

← 2016 26 September 2021 2023 →

All 147 seats in the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin, including 17 overhang and leveling seats
74 seats needed for a majority
Turnout1,844,278 (75.4%)
Increase 8.5 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
2021-09-26 Abgeordnetenhauswahlabend SPD Berlin by Sandro Halank–030.jpg
Pressefoto Bettina-Jarasch 2014.jpg
2014-09-09 - Kai Wegner MdB - 7002.jpg
Candidate Franziska Giffey Bettina Jarasch Kai Wegner
Party SPD Greens CDU
Last election 38 seats, 21.6% 27 seats, 15.2% 31 seats, 17.6%
Seats won 36 32 30
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 5 Decrease 1
Popular vote 390,329 343,871 328,587
Percentage 21.4% 18.9% 18.0%
Swing Decrease 0.1 pp Increase 3.7 pp Increase 0.4 pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
2017-11-16 Klaus Lederer (Wiki Loves Parliaments 2017 in Berlin) by Sandro Halank.jpg
Kristin_Brinker,_AfD_(Martin_Rulsch)_2017-11-16.jpg
Portrait Sebastian Czaja.jpg
Candidate Klaus Lederer Kristin Brinker Sebastian Czaja
Party Left AfD FDP
Last election 27 seats, 15.6% 25 seats, 14.2% 12 seats, 6.7%
Seats won 24 13 12
Seat change Decrease 3 Decrease 12 Steady 0
Popular vote 256,063 145,712 130,201
Percentage 14.1% 8.0% 7.1%
Swing Decrease 1.6 pp Decrease 6.2 pp Increase 0.5 pp


Government before election

Second Müller senate
SPDLeftGreen

Government after election

Giffey senate
SPDGreenLeft

The 2021 Berlin state election, ruled invalid in 2022 and repeated in 2023, was held on 26 September 2021, on the same day as the 2021 German federal election, which also had to be repeated in parts of Berlin due to irregularities. Thus, the 19th Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin[1][2] was elected twice.

The incumbent government was a red-red-green coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), The Left, and The Greens led by Governing Mayor Michael Müller. Müller did not run for re-election as Mayor, and former federal minister Franziska Giffey led the SPD in the election.[3] The Berlin expropriation referendum was held on the same day, as well as the Borough council elections who function as the municipal elections of Berlin.

The SPD remained the largest party with 21.4% of votes cast, recording minimal change compared to 2016. The Greens narrowly surpassed the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to become the second largest party with 19% of the vote. The Left recorded a small decline to 14%, while the Alternative for Germany (AfD) lost almost half its vote share and finished on 8%. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) remained the smallest party in the Abgeordnetenhaus with 7%.[4]

Post-election, SPD's Giffey and Bettina Jarasch of the Greens both spoke out in favour of a coalition involving their parties.[4] They ultimately renewed the outgoing government with The Left. Franziska Giffey was elected as Governing Mayor on 21 December and her cabinet was sworn in the same day.[5]

Due to numerous irregularities that took place during the election, the Constitutional Court of the State of Berlin annulled the results in November 2022. As a result, repeat elections were scheduled for the next year.[6]

  1. ^ "Termin für Abgeordnetenhauswahl in 2021 rückt näher" [The date for the Abgeordnetenhaus election in 2021 is approaching] (in German). Government of Berlin. 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Wahlen" (in German). Berlin Ministry for the Interior and Sport. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  3. ^ "SPD-Landesvorstand nominiert Franziska Giffey als Spitzenkandidatin" [SPD state executive nominates Franziska Giffey as the top candidate] (in German). Der Spiegel. 30 November 2020. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b "SPD prevails against the Greens in the Berlin election". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Franziska Giffey Elected Governing Mayor of Berlin". Berlin Spectator. 21 December 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Berlin state elections declared void". Deutsche Welle. 16 November 2022.