Anyone who has spent a day at a Berlin Citizens’ Registration Office or even had to fight through one of the city’s official hotlines for two hours to finally get the desired information through a torrent of administrative phrases laboriously pressed into High German will either become, like Mark Twain, a Man Hater: “Too bad Noah and his family didn’t miss the boat.”
Or he becomes melancholic and nervous. Some people also tie steel caps to their elbows, put on armor and code back: “Hey, another answer like that and your toothbrush will reach empty tomorrow!”
Whatever your nature tends to be, things are not normal in a city whose public transport company was proud of its advertising jingle “I don’t care”. Although the blaring has now stopped, almost everyone is indifferent – from the ousted RBB director to the heavy-hoofed ladies and gentlemen from the public order office.
One can therefore be surprised when the elastic band on the jogging trousers of the Berliners burst and they are so outraged about breakdowns that the matter has an aftermath. This is what happened on September 26, 2021, the day of the Bundestag and House of Representatives elections.
So many mistakes have been made in at least 440 polling stations that the polls should be called again; at least that’s what a proposed resolution by the Bundestag’s election examination committee is now. In terms of parliamentary democracy, one can only hope that it will be implemented. However, don’t be under any illusions.
In a city where the grade “satisfactory” has always been the “A” of the little man, repeating does not mean having learned from mistakes. Think of the BER. It would be safer not just to ask the United Nations or the OSCE for election observers, but to entrust them with the entire election process.
If they refuse, you could also ask Bavarian officials. Like their police colleagues at large demonstrations, they would have to do duty on the Spree for a day. That way you wouldn’t have to worry about the by-election.
The election result itself will not change. In every Berliner there is a masochist. Day in, day out they suffer from their governments to re-elect the red-green-red in five years. Berlin remains Berlin – and it deserves it.