Bavaria's Söder threatens to review fiscal equalization if Left party governs Berlin

Commentary by Uwe Rada

Publication Date: September 26, 2026 — 8:08 PM

Berlin has voted, and the electoral victory of the Left Party in the capital is causing a stir even in faraway Bavaria. And not only there.

The threat from Bavaria arrived with a swaggering, Bavarian swagger. Should Berlin actually be governed by the Left Party following last Sunday's election, Markus Söder proclaimed at the CSU parliamentary group retreat in Kloster Banz, then the states' financial equalization scheme would be put back on the table: "We are endlessly fed up with having to pay for the weaknesses of others and for misguided policies."

Not even contracts are sacred to Markus Söder anymore. Even the recently signed capital city financing agreement could be reexamined in this case, Söder stated. Pacta sunt servanda? Not when a Left Party figure named Elif Eralp governs Berlin! The Bavarians are bringing out heavy artillery. And they are not alone. "Markus Söder is right," chimed in Hesse's Minister President Boris Rhein (CDU). "No tax money for antisemites and left-wing extremists."

The good citizens of Berlin naturally wonder what other tricks these two self-appointed enforcers of "proper" politics have up their sleeves. Will federal police soon be standing in front of Berlin's Red Town Hall, checking who enters?

A certain bewilderment underlies the lines written so far. Because outside Berlin, the demand to cut off funding to a left-led Berlin will find considerable approval. The place that was once a destination of longing for everyone who wanted to leave the provincial backwater behind — this must-have of big-city living — has long since become the dumpster in whose gleeful disdain the republic collectively unites. Too Babylonian. Too grimy. Too failed.

This article first appeared in wochentaz, our weekly newspaper from the left.

And without money from the federal government, they rub their hands raw — it wouldn't take much for someone to finally deliver the coup de grâce to Berlin. Yet much of what people turn their noses up at about Berlin isn't even wrong. The piles of trash are mounting; on some corners, the evidence of broken-windows theory can be demonstrated minute by minute. And when the dirty spots are cleaned up, new ones appear elsewhere. Shameful!

Also Dreadfully Expensive

But Berlin isn't just dirty — it's also dreadfully expensive. That's precisely why the Left Party, which wants to "make Berlin affordable," won the election. Aren't rents skyrocketing in Munich too? Or even in Wiesbaden? So why not introduce a rent cap there as well? The federal government would only need to empower the states with an opening clause.

So far? Nothing doing. What are the problems of cities in a sprawling state? And if push comes to shove, the Bavarian swaggerer might even cut off funding to his own state capital because it's now governed by the Greens. It wouldn't be beyond him.

For all the jesting the topic invites: The provincial posturing with which the Bavarian and the Hesse conservative deliver their big-city hatred has a history. It is the big-city critique of the Weimar Republic. Clean countryside versus dirty Moloch. Where does that lead? The TV series "Babylon Berlin" is currently airing again.

The matter is also quite serious because the threats against a left-led Berlin are harsher than those against a potentially AfD-led Saxony-Anhalt.

So, keep your mouths shut down there in the south. Because we up north can play that game too. If you stop sending us money, we'll just use the wind power for ourselves and cut off your electricity.

The taz writes, speaks, and debates for pluralism and a free, open society — especially now, as right-wing extremism continues to strengthen and attack democratic institutions. Where right-wing extremist forces gain support, fears of increasing attacks and defamation against opponents of far-right politics also grow. Particularly self-governed spaces feel this pressure, yet now more than ever we need places of critique, (sub)culture, and solidarity. Now more than ever, we must stand together and show solidarity with those who are committed to a strong civil society on the ground. The taz is therefore cooperating with "Everything Begins in the Center." The campaign supports left-wing, self-governed spaces nationwide and is building a solidarity fund for their protection and preservation. An open society needs good, freely accessible journalism — and civic engagement. Do you agree? Then join in and support our campaign.

Support now

About the Author:

Uwe Rada — Editor, taz.Berlin

Born 1963, Uwe Rada is an editor for urban development at taz. His other focus areas include Eastern Europe and Brandenburg. His most recent book, "Morgenland Brandenburg. Zukunft zwischen Spree und Oder", was published by Bebra. He also coordinates the online dossier "Geschichte im Fluss" for the Federal Agency for Civic Education. Uwe Rada lives in Berlin-Pankow and in Grunow in the Schlaubetal region.

Related Articles:

• Exploratory Talks in Berlin: Back on the Ground of Realpolitik — Commentary by Daniel Bax
• Exploratory Talks in Berlin: SPD Wants to Discuss Government Formation with Left Party
• New Study by Economists: Socialization Is Financially Feasible — By Erik Peter

17 Comments