By Tom Carson
SDP Leadership Election
The Social Democratic Party leadership election is taking place between now and December, following the resignation of the former (SPD) party leader Andrea Nahles on 3 June 2019. Between July and September, party members (either as single-person candidates or on a two-person ticket) declared their candidacy.
In the first round of the member vote, the two candidates or tickets with the highest number of votes cast have qualified for the second round of the vote: Olaf Scholz and Klara Geywitz (22.7%) will compete against Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken (21%).
The party's executive board will propose the winner of the member-vote to the party-convention, which will take place between 6th and 8th December.
Read about what this result means for the GroKo.
Thuringia Elections
Right-wing populists are expected to make strong gains in Thuringia on Sunday as further proof of Alternative für Deutschland’s growing strength. In state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg last month, the AfD came second.
Rent
There is a controversial new rent law in Berlin, which will see rents frozen for five years and rents limited to a maximum of €9.80 per square metre excluding bills – the current average rent stands at €11.60. The legislation is expected to come into force at the beginning of 2020. Read more on the housing crisis and der Mietenwahnsinn in Berlin here.
Currywurst
One of Germany’s most prominent chefs has provoked an outcry after he blamed the country’s “crappy” diet for the rise in allergies and described a national dish as a horror verging on “bodily assault”.
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