Berlin Election 2026: Who Prevails in the Borough Assemblies, and Who Shapes Urban Development?

On 20 September 2026, Berliners voted not only for the House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus) but also for the composition of the borough assemblies (Bezirksverordnetenversammlungen, BVV) for the coming legislative term. The borough offices (Bezirksämter) have not yet been reconstituted, and so far no borough has elected or officially nominated a new head of urban development.

Here we take a look at what could happen in the boroughs, or what appears possible from today's perspective. Seat numbers are based on the preliminary result of 21 September 2026.

How posts in the borough office are allocated

Under Section 35(2) of the Berlin District Administration Act (Bezirksverwaltungsgesetz), each borough office is to be formed in line with the relative strength of the parliamentary groups in the BVV. This is calculated using the D'Hondt method, a mathematical procedure for distributing seats proportionally among parties or lists. It is used mainly in elections and to fill parliamentary committees. The principle is simple: each party's vote count is divided in turn by 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. The results are then ranked by size, and the available seats go to the highest quotients.

In Berlin, the parliamentary groups receive nomination rights for the six posts, and groups can form a voting alliance (Zählgemeinschaft) for the office of borough mayor. Which member takes on which portfolio is decided by the new borough office after its election.

The new borough office also determines how portfolios are structured, so today's titles may change. The allocation of posts in the overview below is a calculation based on the preliminary seat distribution, not a personnel decision.

Example: Mitte

Under Section 22(1) of the Berlin State Elections Act (Landeswahlgesetz), the 55 seats in each BVV are allocated by D'Hondt to parties that received at least 3 percent of the vote. For the borough office, each parliamentary group's seats are then divided by 1, 2, 3 and 4. The six highest values (in bold) each receive one post. Parties with fewer than three seats do not form a parliamentary group and are not counted (–).

Party	Votes	Share	BVV seats	÷ 1	÷ 2	÷ 3	÷ 4	Posts
Die Linke	53,756	33.7%	21	21	10.5	7	5.25	3
Greens	35,670	22.4%	13	13	6.5	4.3	3.25	2
CDU	20,320	12.7%	7	7	3.5	2.3	1.75	1
SPD	16,516	10.4%	6	6	3	2	1.5	0
AfD	13,853	8.7%	5	5	2.5	1.7	1.25	0
BSW	6,314	4.0%	2	–				–
Volt	5,014	3.1%	1	–				–

The FDP (2.4%), the Animal Protection Party (1.4%), Die PARTEI (0.8%) and MERA25 (0.4%) fell below 3 percent and won no seats. The next value would be 6 (SPD). Source: Berlin State Returning Officer, preliminary result of 21 September 2026.

Overview of the twelve boroughs

Mitte

• Incumbent: Ephraim Gothe (SPD), Urban Development and Facility Management
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: Die Linke 3, Greens 2, CDU 1

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

• Incumbent: Florian Schmidt (Greens), Building, Planning and Cooperative Urban Development
• Future: According to press reports, Die Linke is claiming the building portfolio, while the Greens want to keep Schmidt. No Die Linke candidate has been named.
• Posts in the borough office: Die Linke 4 (including the mayor), Greens 2

Pankow

• Incumbent: Cornelius Bechtler (Greens), Urban Development and Citizen Services
• Future: The Greens went into the election aiming for Bechtler to remain councillor for urban development. No new appointment has become known since the election.
• Posts in the borough office: Die Linke 2, Greens 2, AfD 1, CDU 1

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

• Incumbent: Christoph Brzezinski (CDU), Urban Development, Real Estate and IT
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: CDU 2, Greens 2, Die Linke 1, SPD 1

Spandau

• Incumbent: Thorsten Schatz (CDU), Building, Planning, Environmental and Nature Conservation
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: CDU 2, AfD 2, SPD 1, Die Linke 1

Steglitz-Zehlendorf

• Incumbent: Patrick Steinhoff (CDU), responsible for urban development
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: CDU 2, Greens 2, SPD 1, Die Linke 1

Tempelhof-Schöneberg

• Incumbent: Eva Majewski Sparacino (CDU), Urban Development and Facility Management
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: Greens 2, Die Linke 1, CDU 1, SPD 1, AfD 1

Neukölln

• Incumbent: Jochen Biedermann (Greens), Urban Development, Environment and Transport
• Future: The Greens went into the election with Biedermann as their candidate for building councillor and Daniela Wannemacher as their candidate for mayor. No new appointment has become known since the election.
• Posts in the borough office: Die Linke 2, CDU 1, Greens 1, AfD 1, SPD 1. With one nomination right, the Greens can mathematically fill only one of the two positions.

Treptow-Köpenick

• Incumbent: Claudia Leistner (Greens), Urban Development, Roads, Green Spaces and Environment
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: Die Linke 2, AfD 2, SPD 1, CDU 1
• Inaugural session on 29 October 2026

Marzahn-Hellersdorf

• Incumbent: Heike Wessoly (CDU), responsible for urban development
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: AfD 3, Die Linke 2, CDU 1

Lichtenberg

• Incumbent: Camilla Schuler (Die Linke), Urban Development, Building and Facility Management
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: Die Linke 3, AfD 2, CDU 1

Reinickendorf

• Incumbent: Korinna Stephan (Greens), Urban Development department
• Future: no appointment known
• Posts in the borough office: CDU 2, AfD 1, SPD 1, Die Linke 1, Greens 1

You can find market data for each borough in our Market Intelligence section.

Developments since election day

In Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, according to press reports of 21 and 22 September 2026, Die Linke is claiming the building portfolio. The Greens want to keep Florian Schmidt. The parties are still negotiating the portfolios.

In Mitte, Christoph Keller (Die Linke), currently councillor for Youth, Family and Health, wants to become borough mayor. According to press reports of 25 September 2026, the preliminary seat distribution leaves the SPD without a post in the borough office. The SPD currently holds the urban development portfolio.

In Marzahn-Hellersdorf, according to press reports from late September 2026, the AfD is mathematically entitled to three nomination rights, Die Linke to two and the CDU to one. Die Linke is seeking a voting alliance.

Less dramatic than it looks?

Based on the preliminary result, Die Linke holds the most posts in the borough offices of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Mitte and Lichtenberg. In Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Spandau, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Tempelhof-Schöneberg and Reinickendorf it holds one post each, and the strongest group there is either the CDU or the Greens. In Marzahn-Hellersdorf, the AfD has the most nomination rights. This means no borough has yet decided who will head urban development. One claim to the portfolio has become known since the election: according to press reports, Die Linke is claiming the building portfolio in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. The new borough offices allocate portfolios after their election at the inaugural BVV sessions, which must take place no later than six weeks after the election. In Treptow-Köpenick, the session is scheduled for 29 October 2026.

Should developers and investors be concerned?

We can hardly answer this question for you. For your own assessment, however, it helps to distinguish between what the borough decides and what the state decides.

Borough (building councillor)

• Social preservation areas (Milieuschutz): The boroughs designate social preservation areas independently by statutory ordinance. Even during the preliminary study, they can defer building applications for 12 months.
• Pre-emption right: Since the 2021 ruling of the Federal Administrative Court, it can only be exercised to a very limited extent. Die Linke in Mitte wants to use it more within the remaining legal framework and is calling for a borough-wide social preservation area with a ban on condominium conversion.
• Conversions: Throughout Berlin, converting buildings with more than five apartments into condominiums requires approval; the rule applies until the end of 2030. This is federal law and does not depend on the borough.

State (Senate and House of Representatives)

• Socialisation (Vergesellschaftung): According to Die Linke, it would affect around eight large companies that each own more than 3,000 apartments in Berlin. Implementation would require a coalition with the SPD and the Greens, and legal challenges from the companies are to be expected.
• Federal level: The CDU/CSU and SPD have agreed at federal level to rule out socialisation at state level by federal law. Chancellor Merz reaffirmed this after the election.

For new developments, the borough matters mainly through development plans and in social preservation areas. The major interventions now under discussion lie with the state.

What are commentators saying?

The debate focuses almost entirely on the state level, and less on what could happen in Berlin's boroughs in future.

• Business and banks: Business groups are warning against expropriation, and the banking sector has again warned against Die Linke's plans. Even the prospect of implementation is said to be causing unease among companies, associations and federal politicians.
• Experts are sceptical that socialisation would lower rents and point to alternatives.
• Voices from the real estate industry take a highly nuanced view, particularly on which demands could actually be implemented.
• Left-leaning media are holding theoretical debates about whether housing should be a commodity at all.