Lecture
Michael Bröcker
AM24

Politicians only become courageous when they’re no longer in office

The outcomes of political decision-making are readily accessible in the news. But how are those decisions actually made? What do the processes within government look like, and what are the chances of reform proposals being implemented at the Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building? Political journalist Michael Bröcker, editor-in-chief at Table.Media, offered revealing insights into the inner workings of Berlin’s power dynamics. When asked by Nadin Heinich, “Can you win elections with truth?” he laconically replied with a no. His sobering assessment: Politicians lack a unified analysis of today’s multi-crisis reality. For example, the introduction of “Building Type E” into the building code will likely fail during this legislative period due to clashing party interests. Instead, top politicians are preoccupied with debates over the debt brake and renewable energy expansion, while the housing crisis remains nowhere near the top of any part’s agenda – not even within the building ministry itself. Many politicians, Bröcker noted, have strong and often controversial ideas, but they only share them in talk shows and interviews once they’ve left office. His critique didn’t stop at the political class; it extended to the construction and real estate industries represented in the room. According to Bröcker, their lobbying efforts in Berlin are too fragmented and opaque. When the building minister raises an issue, she’s met with 40 different associations, barely communicating with one another, let alone presenting a unified voice. By contrast, other industries are far better organized and, consequently, much more politically influential.