Germany's Die Linke won last month's Berlin election on a pledge to socialize ~220k flats owned by large landlords. A thread on why housing expropriation is a successful campaign promise, how Berlin's flats became an asset class, and what expropriation would do. 🧵

Show Post

In short: "socialization" is popular because people blame investors for housing unaffordability. The state helped create the market it now wants to reverse. It would help today's tenants but add no homes, cost money and favor insiders.

Show Post

The third cost falls on outsiders. A rent capped at +1% a year becomes more valuable the longer you stay, so people move less (Diamond et al.). More than 40% of affected tenants earn above the median. Newcomers face queues or the private market, likely increasing inequality.

Show Post

It is important that the German Greens directly reject the UK Green Party’s resolution titled "Zionism is Racism" and welcome the suspension of its voting rights within the European Green Party. It‘s urgently necessary for the @europeangreens.eu to distance itself from the UK Green Party’s position.

Show Post

In der europäischen Parteienfamilie EGP haben sich 39 eigenständige Grüne Parteien zusammengeschlossen. Wir begrüßen, dass die GPEW in der Europäischen Grünen Partei (EGP) ohnehin sehr bald ihr Stimmrecht verliert.

Show Post