From BZ/dpa
Berlin’s former head of government Klaus Wowereit (SPD) is disturbed by the recklessness on the road.
“I include the cyclists in that. And the e-scooters,” Wowereit (68) told the “Tagesspiegel” (Saturday). There was a brutalization. “You have to create cycle paths, all road users need space – everything is in agreement. But: Non-drivers are also subject to the road traffic regulations. Nobody dares to say that anymore.”
It annoys him too, said former governing mayor Walter Momper (77, SPD). His successor Eberhard Diepgen (80, CDU) said in the interview what bothers him about Berlin: “In this city there is a lack of measure and middle. This is not only the case with cyclists, but in almost all political issues. I’m also annoyed by the relationship with the rule of law, the limits of which those responsible in politics want to test again and again.”
That was not only the case with the expropriation campaign and the rent cap. “I returned my license to practice law years ago. To put it sarcastically: I sometimes regret that, because the city currently offers excellent earning opportunities for lawyers in disputes against administrative decisions.” Diepgen cited building permit procedures as an example.
The interview also dealt with the places of residence of the former “rulers”. Wowereit said the beauty of Wilmersdorf is the social mix. “There are social buildings from the 1960s next to old buildings and new buildings. You have a neighborhood with a pharmacy, the shoemaker, the Edeka. Everything within walking distance.”
Wowereit also spoke about the loss of his longtime husband Jörn Kubicki, who died in 2020. He feels “like anyone who has lost someone alive – that’s difficult. And very, very sad. You still have to deal with that, but I miss him a lot!”
