Steffen Krach, the SPD’s leading candidate for the Berlin mayoralty, has called for a much stronger role for the federal government in protecting and supporting the capital. He argues that Berlin has taken on national responsibilities in security, research and culture, and therefore should receive more comprehensive federal backing.
Krach singled out three key areas that he believes require federal financing. First, the protection of the capital itself – a task that “in my view should be financed by the federal government because it serves nationwide interests”. He also stresses that the Charité, which already functions as a federal medical institution, and the Staatsoper, a national cultural landmark, deserve similar treatment. “I consider it essential to discuss these three matters with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice‑Chancellor Lars Klingbeil” he said, adding that they should be formally embedded in a new capital‑financing agreement between Berlin and the federal government.
The current 2017 agreement, which sets out federal cost‑sharing for Berlin’s ministries, embassies and visiting state guests, already supports Berlin’s cultural sector. But Krach insists that the issue is not merely more money; it is about clearly defined national responsibilities. “We must ask ourselves how to understand the protection of our capital” he explained. “At present, Berlin only has the competences of a German state – but true capital protection requires more than a single state can provide”. To strengthen cooperation across all relevant actors, he proposes establishing a state‑level security council, modeled on the federal National Security Council.
Krach also highlighted the Charité’s global standing in research and clinical care. Its pivotal role during the COVID‑19 pandemic, when it helped build a nationwide university‑medicine network, underscored its importance. The new Charité‑Heart Centre in Wedding is built with federal aid, and the federal government is also involved in the Gene‑ and Cell‑Therapy Translational Center by Charité and Bayer, as well as the Berlin Institute of Health. “It is only logical for Berlin’s outstanding university medicine to become a national university medicine” Krach said.
Regarding the Staatsoper, Krach noted that it is one of the few opera houses that has shaped German history, and that elevating it to federal status would also serve as a gesture of appreciation for East Germany, whose institutions he believes deserve federal support.
