"The proceedings are an outrage."

Olympic Games: SPD frontrunner Steffen Krach criticizes national competition

Text Sebastian Thomas | Head of Communications and Marketing

In mid-November, he was unanimously nominated as the Berlin SPD's top candidate. At the beginning of December, Steffen Krach will answer questions from VBKI President Markus Voigt and more than 100 VBKI members and friends in attendance. Steffen Krach—currently still acting regional president of the Hanover region—presented himself at the business breakfast as a pragmatist who took a self-critical but optimistic view of Berlin's current situation. In his opinion, the former "Berlin feeling" and spirit of optimism have been lost—despite economic successes. The first task for politicians now is to regain trust: "We need courage and confidence again."

Economy as a foundation – cooperation as the key

Krach emphasized that Berlin's future is inextricably linked to a strong economy. After 13 years of above-average growth, the city must now continue to increase its competitiveness—for example, through closer cooperation between business, science, and universities. Berlin is already a leading European location for AI, the healthcare industry, and quantum technology. The Berlin University Alliance and the involvement of major players from industry show how exchange accelerates innovation.

Housing: "It won't work without private involvement"

Krach took a clear stance on the housing issue. He said the expropriation debate was "disastrous" and would not solve the shortage. Berlin needs 20,000 new apartments every year – a goal that cannot be achieved without private investment. However, he said that lengthy procedures and a few "black sheep" were damaging the image of the entire industry. The housing problem was a social time bomb and a massive obstacle to recruiting skilled workers.

Long-term planning, airport connections, and the Olympics

One of the biggest disadvantages of the location continues to be the inadequate transport links to the capital's airport. Clear ambitions and more decisiveness are needed here. Unlike cities such as Paris, Berlin lacks a long-term planning framework that spans legislative periods – a 15-year plan could create much-needed continuity.

Praise was given for the progress made in modernizing administration—however, the reform is far from complete, and the issue will remain high on the agenda in the next legislative period.

The issue of the Olympic Games in Berlin was particularly contentious: the Games belonged in the capital, and the SPD fully supported this. The federal government needed to be made more aware of this. However, he criticized the national selection process as "outrageous" – almost 80 million euros of taxpayers' money would be spent on the candidate competition.  

Internal security and cleanliness: "A deeply social democratic impulse"

Krach spoke openly about problems such as crime and unsafe places. He said he had recently been to the Jungfernheide S-Bahn and U-Bahn station, a place he would "not recommend to any woman" after dark. Safety and cleanliness are basic prerequisites for quality of life and social participation—and have always been at the heart of social democratic policy.

Political reality and coalitions

With regard to the political situation in 2025, Krach referred to the difficulty of forming coalitions nationwide. He clearly ruled out cooperation with the AfD. It remains to be seen which coalitions will be possible in Berlin after the election on September 20—no constellation can be ruled out at this stage.