EP 5: Let's Get Local

This year’s ‘Superwahltag’ or super election day will mark the exit of Angela Merkel as chancellor but that’s not all that is happening in Berlin. On September 26th, eligible voters in the German capital will also be asked to decide on two regional elections, and a much anticipated referendum! James Jackson, a freelance journalist, joins us in the final episode of the batch to take a look at how Berliner’s usually vote, what issues they care about and how the city state does or doesn’t influence national politics. We explore local candidates, their policies and their strongholds. How have they been received so far, and how have the various scandals affected their standing? James also sheds light on the housing referendum, it’s similarity to the Brexit referendum, and what the potential outcomes could mean for citizens. Thank you James for chatting with us, Pirate Studios for making our recordings possible, and Epidemic Sound for the theme song. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, help us make that happen by donating to our PayPal. The linked account is [email protected] - all donors will receive a virtual hug and a loving shoutout in the next episode. Our theme song is City Phases by John Abbot, also featuring audio from Deutsche Welle, Deutsche Welle (2), Deutsche Welle (3) and TLDR News EU. More information on each episode (descriptions, titles) and transcripts available at bearradio.org/september-26