The Left party (Die Linke) in the Bundestag is criticizing an imbalance in the federal government’s talks with various stakeholders. According to a report by the “Tagesspiegel,” based on the government’s response to a small parliamentary inquiry from the Left faction, there have been 60 conversations with representatives of landlords since the government took office until June 24, 2026. Of these, 13 took place in the presence of a minister. In contrast, the administration held only 38 meetings with tenant representatives, with 13 of those also including a minister.
A particular discrepancy was noted in the Federal Ministry of Finance, led by SPD chief Lars Klingbeil. There were 14 meetings held with the landlord side, but only one with the tenant side. Furthermore, the Ministry of Economics, headed by Katherina Reiche (CDU), held ten meetings with landlords but zero meetings with tenants. The Ministry of Finance justified this disparity by stating that regular consultations with investors and the construction industry are necessary, partly due to the establishment of the federal housing company.
In another inquiry, the Left sought details on how frequently meetings were held with the housing corporation Vonovia between May 7 and July 1, 2026. The result indicated four such meetings, including two with Federal Minister of Construction Verena Hubertz (SPD), one with Finance Minister Klingbeil, and one at the state secretary level in the Ministry of Justice.
The Left MP Caren Lay described these meetings, particularly those related to the Schwarz-Rot plan-which aims to prohibit the socialization of large corporate housing-as “delicate.” Her conclusion is that the federal government is listening more closely to the real estate lobby than to tenants. She demanded greater transparency and a tightening of the lobby register law.
