A flag with the coat of arms of Berlin flies on the Rotes Rathaus.
© dpa
The planned administrative reform in Berlin has taken an important step forward. After a long period of preparatory work, the Senate passed a number of laws and a proposal for constitutional amendments, as announced by Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU). "Today is a good day for Berlin," he said.
The reform is one of the central projects of the black-red coalition in this legislative period. Following the Senate's decision, deliberations will begin in the House of Representatives. The reform is expected to be finally approved there before the summer break and then come into force at the beginning of 2026.
The aim is to clearly regulate the distribution of responsibilities between the Senate and districts. This should put an end to the often lamented "authority ping-pong" in Berlin, i.e. the shifting of responsibilities back and forth between different parts of the administration. Authorities should focus more on the needs of citizens, but also on the needs of businesses, for example.
Among other things, the legislative package contains regulations on the tasks and responsibilities of the state and district levels. There are also plans for a so-called conciliation body to find a solution to conflicts between the state and district levels.
Several changes to the state constitution are also planned. For example, the so-called connectivity principle is to be anchored there: This means that the Senate must provide the necessary funds for tasks that the districts have to fulfill.