Politics of Berlin

The relocation of the federal government and Bundestag to Berlin was completed in 1999, however with some ministries as well as some minor departments retained in the federal city Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. Discussions to move the remaining branches continue.[2] The ministries and departments of Defence, Justice and Consumer Protection, Finance, Interior, Foreign, Economic Affairs and Energy, Labour and Social Affairs , Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Food and Agriculture, Economic Cooperation and Development, Health, Transport and Digital Infrastructure and Education and Research are based in the capital.

The Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin is the city state parliament.

Dominating parties after the 2016 election

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Summary of the 18 September 2016 Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin elections results

Party		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Social Democratic Party of Germany Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands – SPD	352,369	21.6	6.7	38	10
	Christian Democratic Union Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands – CDU	288,002	17.6	5.8	31	8
	The Left Die Linke	255,740	15.6	4.0	27	7
	Alliance '90/The Greens Bündnis 90/Die Grünen	248,243	15.2	2.4	27	3
	Alternative for Germany Alternative für Deutschland – AfD	231,325	14.2	14.2	25	25
	Free Democratic Party Freie Demokratische Partei – FDP	109,431	6.7	4.9	12	12
	Die PARTEI	31,908	2.0	1.1	–	–
	Animal Protection Party	30,565	1.9	0.4	–	–
	Pirate Party	28,321	1.7	7.2	–	15
	Graue Panther	18,135	1.1	1.1	–	–
	Other parties	40,717	2.4	–	–	–
Valid votes		1,634,756	98.5%	0.1
Invalid votes		25,690	1.5%	0.1
Totals and voter turnout		1,662,598	66.9%	6.7	160
Electorate		2,485,363	100.00	—
Source:[14]

Map of Berlin's twelve boroughs

Berlin is divided into twelve boroughs (Bezirke), reduced from 23 boroughs before Berlin's 2001 administrative reform. Each borough has a number of localities (Ortsteile), which often have historic roots in older municipalities predating the formation of Greater Berlin on 1 October 1920 and were urbanised and incorporated into the city. Many residents strongly identify with their localities (or boroughs). Berlin has 96 localities, commonly made up of several city neighbourhoods (known as Kiez in the Berlin dialect).

Each borough is governed by a council (Bezirksamt) with five councillors (Bezirksstadträte) and a borough mayor (Bezirksbürgermeister). The borough council is elected by the borough assembly (Bezirksverordnetenversammlung). The boroughs of Berlin are not independent municipalities; the borough governments' power is limited, and subordinate to the Berlin Senate. The borough mayors form a council of mayors (Rat der Bürgermeister, led by the city's governing mayor), which advises the Senate. The localities have no local government bodies, and the administrative duties of the former locality representative (the Ortsvorsteher) were assumed by the borough mayors.

Los Angeles became the first sister city to Berlin in 1967.

Berlin maintains official partnerships with 17 cities.[15] Town twinning between Berlin and other cities began with Los Angeles in 1967. East Berlin's partnerships were cancelled at German reunification, but later partially reestablished. West Berlin's partnerships were limited to the borough level. During the Cold War the partnerships reflected spheres of influence, with West Berlin partnering with Western capitals and East Berlin partnering primarily with cities of the Warsaw Pact and its allies.

There are joint projects with a number of other cities, such as Belgrade, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Johannesburg, Shanghai, Seoul, Sofia, Sydney and Vienna. Berlin participates in international city associations such as the Union of the Capitals of the European Union, Eurocities, Network of European Cities of Culture, Metropolis, Summit Conference of the World's Major Cities, Conference of the World's Capital Cities. Its sister cities are:[15]

A police bus in blue-silver livery

The Berlin Police (Der Polizeipräsident in Berlin' - The Police Chief of Berlin), or commonly Berliner Polizei is the German Landespolizei force for the city-state of Berlin. Law enforcement in Germany is divided between federal and state (Land) agencies. Berlin Police is divided into 6 local directorates (Direktion). Each local directorate is responsible for one to three Berliner districts:

• Direktion 1: Reinickendorf, Pankow[17]
• Direktion 2: Spandau, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf[18]
• Direktion 3: Mitte[19]
• Direktion 4: Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Steglitz-Zehlendorf[20]
• Direktion 5: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Neukölln[21]
• Direktion 6: Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Treptow-Köpenick, Lichtenberg[22]

The Federal Police (Bundespolizei or BPOL) is a (primarily) uniformed federal police force in Berlin and Germany. It is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of the Interior (Bundesministerium des Innern (BMI)).[23]

The Bundespolizei can also be used to reinforce state police if requested by a state (Land) government. The BPOL maintains these reserve forces to deal with major demonstrations, disturbances or emergencies, supplementing the capabilities of the State Operational Support Units. Several highly trained detachments are available for crisis situations requiring armored cars, water cannon or other special equipment.

BPOL has investigators conduct criminal investigations only within its jurisdiction; otherwise the cases are referred to the appropriate state police force or to the federal criminal investigative agency, the Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt, BKA). In addition, the Bundespolizei cooperates closely with German state executive authorities, such as prosecutor's offices (Staatsanwaltschaft) in pursuing criminal investigations.

A Eurocopter EC-135 of the Bundespolizei

The Bundespolizei has the following missions:

• Border security (Grenzpolizei or Grepo), to include passport control
• Protection of federal buildings such as Schloss Bellevue, the residence of the German Bundespräsident.
• Providing the federal government's mobile response force for internal security events.
• Providing transportation security at international airports and on the German railways.
• Providing counter-terrorism forces (GSG 9).
• Providing air (or sky) marshals.
• Supporting international police missions for the United Nations and the EU
• Providing in-house security for some German embassies.
• Providing rescue helicopter service.