Berlin's poster war: A guide to the slogans plastering the capital

Berlin's state election on September 20th is shaping up to be a photo finish. The latest polls put the Left Party, the Christian Democrats (CDU), the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Greens all within a couple of percentage points of each other. In a race this tight, every lamppost matters.

Campaign posters were not allowed on public streets until noon on August 2nd, exactly seven weeks before polling day. But many parties jumped the gun this year, triggering complaints and potential fines. The reason is straightforward: the best spots are limited, and nobody wants to surrender prime real estate in such a close contest.

The result is a city plastered with shining faces, bold promises and, for non-German speakers, occasionally baffling messages. Many slogans reference local debates, Berlin-specific frustrations and distinctly German campaign language. Here is a guide to what the main parties are saying and why.

The Left Party: Housing first

The Left Party, which has edged into first place in some polls, is running a single-issue campaign centred on affordability. Nearly every slogan revolves around the cost of living, opposition to gentrification and support for stronger state intervention in the housing market.

Key slogans include "Berlin bezahlbar machen" (Make Berlin affordable), "Verdrängung stoppen" (Stop displacement) and "Immobilienkonzerne enteignen" (Expropriate real estate corporations). The last one directly references the successful 2021 referendum to expropriate major landlords, a campaign that remains deeply divisive. Another poster reads "Tempelhofer Feld kein Bauland" (Tempelhof Field is not building land), after residents voted to keep the former airfield as open space.

CDU: The grown-up in the room

The CDU, which governs Berlin in coalition with the SPD, is positioning itself as the party of discipline. Its slogans emphasise competence, order and a tough line on crime and bureaucracy.

"Einer muss vernünftig sein" (Someone has to be sensible) is the centrepiece, alongside "Der Endgegner vom Schlendrian" (The final boss against complacency) and "Berlin wird knallhart" (Berlin is getting tough). The message is consistent: the city needs stricter management.

AfD: Immigration and climate backlash

The far-right AfD is focusing on its core themes. "Kriminelle Migranten abschieben" (Deport criminal migrants) reflects the party's long-standing obsession with deportation and crime. "Bezahlbare Energie statt Klimawahn" (Affordable energy instead of climate madness) attacks environmental policy as ideological extremism that drives up costs. Given the AfD's well-documented ties to the Putin regime, the reference to affordable energy is widely understood as a euphemism for Russian gas and oil.

Greens: Practical pitch

The Greens, perhaps wary of accusations of being excessively ideological, are running a more grounded campaign. Their posters focus on everyday governance rather than grand environmental ambitions. "Schulstress abbauen, Kinder aufbauen" (Reduce school stress, empower children) is one example. Another reads "Keine Versprechen. Ein Plan für Berlin" (No promises. A plan for Berlin), a deliberate contrast with the more aspirational slogans of their rivals.

SPD: Old certainties, new anxieties

The Social Democrats, once the natural party of government in Berlin but now polling fifth, are trying to straddle traditional left-wing concerns and middle-class worries. "Der Mietenwahnsinn endet jetzt" (The rent madness ends now) overlaps with the Left Party's message. Other slogans tap into familiar complaints: "Baustellen sind zum Bauen da, nicht zum Stellen" (Construction sites are for building, not standing around), "Spielplatz ohne Spritze" (Playground without syringes) and "Grundschule ohne Handy" (Primary school without mobile phones).

FDP and BSW: Fighting for survival

Both the liberal FDP and the populist BSW are polling below the five percent threshold needed to enter parliament but remain within outside-chance territory. The FDP's slogan "Gutes Deutsch. Gute Chancen" (Good German. Good opportunities) links language acquisition to success, presumably as an argument for more investment in early-years education.

The BSW, founded by Sahra Wagenknecht, mixes left-wing economics with right-wing views on immigration. Its posters contrast pension costs with defence spending: "Geld für unsere Rentner statt Milliarden für Raketen" (Money for our pensioners instead of billions for missiles). Another reads simply "Nicht unser Krieg!" (Not our war!), targeting Germany's support for Ukraine. The party also describes itself as "Gefährlich ehrlich" (Dangerously honest).

Volt: The meme candidate

Volt, which promotes progressive politics and pan-European integration, has never hit the five percent threshold in a Berlin election. But it has produced the most memorable slogan of the campaign: "Unf*ck Berlin". It captures a frustration shared by many residents, paperwork delays, malfunctioning public services, unaffordable housing. Another of its posters reads "Endlich eine Schmutz-Kampagne" (Finally a dirty campaign), a joke that plays on concerns about litter and street cleanliness on the one hand, and political dirty tricks on the other.

With less than three weeks to go, the battle for Berlin's lampposts is only intensifying. For voters, the challenge is to see past the slogans and decide who can actually deliver.