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Demo in Berlin (in summer 2021)
Photo: Christophe Gateau / dpa
There is a popular solution for difficult tasks in politics: Such topics are delegated to expert commissions.
The negotiators from the SPD, the Greens and the Left also want to spare their planned future Berlin state government from a sensitive question: how to deal with the successful referendum on the expropriation of large real estate companies in Berlin.
In their coalition negotiations, the three parties agreed to set up a commission of experts to deal with the outcome of the referendum on the socialization of large housing companies.
A new state government will respect the result of the referendum and handle it responsibly, announced the three parties.
They set up a commission of experts "to examine the possibilities, ways and prerequisites for implementing the referendum".
The initiative that initiated the referendum will also be involved in the body.
First of all, according to the three parties, the commission should examine the constitutional conformity of a socialization, as envisaged in the referendum.
It is also about naming and evaluating possible legally secure ways of socialization.
In a second step, housing, corporate law and financial policy aspects should also be taken into account.
The commission should work out a recommendation to the Senate within a year, which would then decide on how to proceed.
In 2023, "if necessary, cornerstones for a socialization law" are to be presented.
After that there should be a final decision by the Senate.
In September, a majority voted for the referendum for the association of apartments in large real estate groups.
This was initiated by the group "Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co.".
However, the decision is not legally binding for the new Senate.
The initiative advocates the expropriation of housing groups with more than 3000 apartments in Berlin, but cooperatives should not be hit.
According to the proposal of the initiative, more than 240,000 apartments are to be transferred into the possession of an institution under public law.
The SPD, the Greens and the Left are currently working on a continuation of their government coalition in Berlin.
The housing market in the capital recently came back into focus as a result of the merger of the housing groups Deutsche Wohnen and Vonovia.
Deutsche Wohnen is mainly active in Berlin.
Vonovia boss Rolf Buch had said that the group was ready to tackle the challenges on the Berlin housing market with a new state government and the city's social players.
He had spoken out in favor of a "new alliance for living".
mmq / Reuters / dpa
