Hardly any other German city is criticized as often as Berlin. In the Royal GS podcast, Berlin’s governing mayor Kai Wegner defends himself against this.
Hardly any other German city is criticized as often as Berlin. Too much bureaucracy, too many construction sites, too few apartments, administration too slow. However, for Berlin’s governing mayor Kai Wegner, this image falls short.
In the Royal GS podcast, the CDU politician took issue with what he saw as exaggerated Berlin bashing. It became particularly clear with regard to Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder.
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“Berlin can’t be that bad, you tried to come here twice yourself,” said Wegner in the direction of Söder.
For him, the debate is symptomatic of a larger problem. While within Germany people often talk about Berlin’s weaknesses, he sees a completely different picture internationally. Berlin continues to be perceived as a creative, international and dynamic metropolis abroad.
In fact, the capital continues to grow. The population is approaching the four million mark, the city remains Germany’s most important startup location and continues to attract international talent.
Wegner therefore calls for a change of perspective. Of course there are problems with housing, infrastructure or administration. At the same time, the strengths are rarely talked about: the universities, the startup scene, the creative industries and the international appeal.
For the governing mayor it is clear: Berlin must become more self-confident. Not despite its problems, but precisely because the city continues to attract people from all over the world despite these challenges.
