Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), announced Friday he will not seek reelection in the upcoming Berlin state election in September. He insisted he will remain in office until then, stating at a press conference: "I was elected as Mayor."

Wegner has led a coalition of conservatives and center-left Social Democrats since April 2023. His reputation was severely damaged by his decision to play tennis during a massive power outage that struck Berlin in January.

On January 3, 2026, an arson attack on high-voltage cables cut power to about 45,000 households in southwestern Berlin during sub-zero temperatures. The outage lasted over four days, the longest in the city since World War II, affecting some 100,000 people, including hospitals, schools, and nursing homes that required evacuation.

The far-left group "Vulkangruppe" initially claimed responsibility but later denied it. The incident sparked debate over critical infrastructure security and crisis response plans.

Wegner only admitted to playing tennis that day after persistent questioning by journalists. He claimed he was reachable and coordinated relief efforts by phone, but later it emerged he had only sent a few text messages. The CDU's youth wing and party members called for him to step down.

Polls show the CDU has slipped to fourth place, behind the Left Party, Greens, and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). It remains unclear who will replace Wegner as candidate.

Source: www.dw.com