Opinion: Berlin, capital of mediocrity

Judging from the mood at the Social Democrats' (SPD) election party in Berlin-Tempelhof, one might think that Berlin's new state government has already been formed: booing during the reading of the CDU results, rejoicing over the results of the Left and the Greens. The SPD's previous coalition partner, the Union, is in ruins. The political future of Berlin will be red-red-green.

But faced with the question whether that could be a model for Germany's federal government, party leaders have stepped on the brake. First they want to await the outcome of the coalition negotiations. But one thing is clear: Red-red-green is at least an alternative to the grand coalition. This is pretty much the only parallel on the federal level.

The election in Berlin was shaped predominantly by state-specific or local political issues. It was about ailing, neglected school buildings, the fact that citizens offices don't seem to be familiar with the word 'service,' or the massively delayed BER airport.

Above all, there's not a politician in sight, who - unlike former Mayor Klaus Wowereit - brings courage and perspectives to citizens through vision and assertiveness. His successor Michael Müller (SPD) has the charm and the charisma of a paper clip. CDU minister Frank Henkel, although a likable man, is also no alternative with his feeble nature and lack of conviction.

CDU and SPD punished by voters

So what do the federal parties get from the Berlin state election? The SPD leader should be wary of praising his comrade Müller and the election result too much. Müller garnered six percent less of the vote on Sunday than Wowereit did five years ago, and now holds the worst result in the state's election history. And within the ranks of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Frank Henkel's abysmal result of 18 percent should not be pushed onto party leader and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her refugee policy was only indirectly to blame.

When the refugees flocked en masse to Berlin a year ago, CDU Health Senator Mario Czaja failed for weeks to eradicate the inhumane conditions at the state registry office of health and welfare. "LaGeSo" has since become a synonym for a political failure in Germany. Berlin has a reputation as the city in which no one feels responsible.

AfD in the capital of multiculturalism

And what does the success of the AfD tell us? Yes, 14 percent for the right-wing populists is 14 percent too much, but less in comparison to the recent state elections in other eastern German states. Berlin is a colorful, multicultural metropolis, where seducers from the right have little success. The Republicans, for example, have only ever held one term of office here.

Once they'd done their duty and aired all their grievances, they were gone. That will most likely be the case again with the AfD. Nevertheless, Merkel is likely to once again feel the pressure from within her own party for her allegedly failed refugee policy. But the Berlin election result isn't really suitable evidence.

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