Majorities are needed in Berlin’s House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus, AGH) in order to make decisions and govern the city. For most laws and budget decisions, a simple majority is sufficient. This means that more members vote in favour than against. For particularly important decisions, such as amendments to the Constitution of Berlin, a two-thirds majority is required.

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Berlin-Wiki: All you need to know about the City

Since individual parties usually do not win an absolute majority in elections to the House of Representatives, they often form a coalition. During negotiations, they agree on common political objectives and set them down in a coalition agreement. This agreement forms the basis of their cooperation throughout the legislative term.

During the negotiations, the participating parties often have to make compromises. In return, the coalition commits itself to jointly supporting the measures agreed upon in the coalition agreement in the House of Representatives, so that laws and other political measures can be adopted with the required majority.