A Green Light for Lichtenberg

Lichtenberg, tucked into the eastern edge of Berlin, has long been home to strong political forces. During World War II, a Wehrmacht officers’ mess hall was there, and, once the war ended, the main office of the city’s Soviet military administration set up shop in the same building. After the creation of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, the headquarters of the East German secret police, the Stasi, was in Lichtenberg.

In more recent decades, the area has been a Left Party stronghold, but it was also an epicenter of right-wing violence in the 1990s. Today, young families and people looking to escape the high rents of central Berlin flock to Lichtenberg, mingling with the district’s large Vietnamese population. And on February 23, all these groups head to the polls.

I recently met Elisabeth Giesemann, a former Bundestag staffer and Bertelsmann Foundation Fellow originally from Bavaria, now herself running for parliament as a member of the Green Party. The Greens picked up 15% of the vote in Lichtenberg in the 2021 federal election, placing third. The field is more crowded this year, with Elisabeth up against candidates from the right-wing Alternative for Germany and the Left Party. Meanwhile, the center-right Christian Democratic Union leads in nationwide polls, the center-left Social Democratic Party is fighting to remain in power, and the Free Democratic Party is fighting to stay alive. Elisabeth enjoyed engaging with voters while volunteering for others’ campaigns, so when the Greens were looking for someone to represent them in Lichtenberg, she threw her hat into the ring. Having grown up in a single parent household with few resources, it is important for Elisabeth to always consider the social component of policy. She believes that it is particularly important to show young voters that the Greens are engaging their generation.

In 2021, the Greens profited from the support of young climate activists and the Fridays for Future movement. The party is counting on those votes again, despite a rightward trend among youth politically or disengagement from politics entirely. For Elisabeth, the Green Party is the only one to acknowledge the true challenges of climate change and a sluggish economy, and offer practical solutions. “The Green Party is future-oriented and for the youth”, she asserts in our conversation and on the campaign trail. While other parties may tell voters they can avoid the pain of the green transition amid a dour economic outlook, Elisabeth believes that the Greens are facing these problems head-on and looking for answers through “policies that profit the people”.

Like many Germans, the people of Lichtenberg are concerned about high energy prices, migration and domestic security, and the cost of living. Underpinning all these issues is the war in Ukraine. The Green Party’s strong support for Kyiv and increased German defense capabilities has generated some criticism, particularly in eastern Germany, where historical ties to Russia still hold sway. Elisabeth has experience with voters who call the Greens warmongers and demand that the party returns to its nonviolent roots. During one early morning campaign session, Elisabeth was accosted on the street. But there is also much support for the Greens’ agenda—in that same hour, another passerby gave her a bouquet of tulips.

Running a campaign is always a race to the finish, but it is a more intense sprint in a snap election. After the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government in November 2024, the upcoming vote was moved forward from September to February. The subsequently compressed timeline created enormous bureaucratic strains for all parties, but it is especially challenging for lesser-known candidates. Lichtenberg is not a Green Party stronghold, and Elisabeth’s campaign is largely a volunteer-led effort. This means that she is involved in all aspects of the operation, from meeting voters to debating other candidates to rush ordering zip ties for campaign posters when deliveries don’t arrive on time. Despite the difficulties, Elisabeth hopes to show the residents of Lichtenberg that the Greens understand their needs and offer viable solutions to meet them. “There is a negative cliché about Lichtenberg with its Soviet-era block housing and at-times difficult past. But now Lichtenberg is diverse and I want to show that it can be more and deserves more—just as I did”.

If elected, Elisabeth would like to first focus on ways to make the green transition more affordable, such as lowering the electricity tax and network fee to the EU minimum. “It’s technical stuff, but it would really have a big impact on the average person”.

DISCLAIMER: The Bertelsmann Foundation is a nonpartisan organization and does not endorse specific candidates or political parties.

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