Berlin’s governing mayor Michael Müller (SPD) has spoken out in the fight against rising Rents against the expropriation of housing companies. He saw expropriate the people’s initiative “Deutsche Wohnen and co.” – as Müller and the FAZ said – “very critical”.

After the Director had held back at the mayor in particular from the coalition partners-The Left and from the own party, the Junior fired the debate, he said: “This is not my way and not my policy. Discussions like this help the tenants and not tenants at all now.“ Already in January, Miller had announced to speak with the Deutsche Wohnen via a buy-back of 2004 by the Senate of sold apartments.

on The people’s initiative, the company with more than 3000 apartments expropriate, said Müller: “Whether there would be a referendum, in fact a majority in favour of expropriation, I doubt. Once all is aware of, how many billion would that cost, many people will rate it differently than it is today. Already high legal and financial hurdles.“

At the same time, assisted Müller to stop the proposal for a SPD group in the Berlin Bundestag member Eva Högl for a Rent that the Rent should be capped in areas with a particularly strong increase for five years. “This has nothing to do with a planned economy, but has proven successful in the eighties in West Berlin once before,” he said.

The accusation, in Berlin again socialism, rejected Müller: “A social policy debate has nothing to do with DDR-romance. In Paris and Los Angeles, the same debates are going to be exactly like us.“ The mayor there were no Communists. Although private companies have to make profits. “But I will not let that profit maximization leads to social ills in my city.” At the same time, the Director condemned the ruling speculative transactions with land that remains unused.

More about

petition against German Jusos Pankow’ll be hard expropriation

Ulrich Zawatka-Gerlach

Twelve of the Newsletter, twelve districts: Our people-Newsletter of all the Berlin districts want to you can order here free of charge: leute.tagesspiegel.de