Bundestags President Julia Klöckner (CDU) and Deputy President Omid Nouripour (The Greens) have proposed that the German parliament abandon plans for the new construction project at Luisenblock-Ost-II in Berlin.
Klöckner stated that the decision was based on financial responsibility, arguing that expensive expansion projects cannot be pursued when public finances are strained and are not strictly necessary. Speaking to “Der Spiegel”, she emphasized that given the current economic climate, the Bundestag must critically assess its plans and establish clear priorities. She stressed that the guiding principle should be “what is needed, not what is possible” adding that setting aside hundreds of millions of euros would be an obvious necessity.
Nouripour echoed this sentiment, advising that the focus should be limited to essentials. He told “Der Spiegel” that the main priorities must be the security of existing buildings and necessary refurbishment. As the chairman of the Bundestag’s Construction and Space Commission, Nouripour plans to convene a special session of this committee before the end of May to recommend formally withdrawing from the Luisenblock-Ost-II project.
According to information obtained from the Bundestag administration, shelving this project would save approximately 600 million euros in “pure construction costs” which were the current estimates. Furthermore, the actual costs associated with Luisenblock-Ost-II could potentially be even higher due to rising prices and construction risks.
The proposed site for the new facility is located in Berlin’s government district, north of the Spree, between Luisenstraße, the S-Bahn tracks, and Friedrichstraße station. However, the plans for withdrawal do not affect a different wing on the same site: Luisenblock-Ost-I. For this secondary project, construction work is set to begin soon and is planned to house parliamentary offices and soundproof conference rooms. The transfer of these offices is currently slated for 2034.
