Your representative for Gropiusstadt, Buckow Nord, and the northern part of the Blumenviertel.
Your strong voice in the Berlin House of Representatives.
I am convinced that politics must address the issues that directly affect people’s daily lives—affordable housing, quality education, safe and clean neighborhoods, strong communities, good healthcare, and a city that works. That is exactly what my campaign is all about:
POLITICS ON YOUR SIDE.
Since 2021, I’ve had the privilege of representing Gropiusstadt, Buckow Nord, and the northern part of the Blumenviertel in the Berlin House of Representatives. During this time, I’ve knocked on thousands of doors, helped people with specific problems, and worked to ensure that the concerns of our district are heard in Berlin.
For me, politics doesn’t start “up there” somewhere, but right here on the ground—in the local community, in the neighborhoods, and in people’s everyday lives. That’s why I’m fighting for a Neukölln that remains affordable, safe, socially inclusive, and a great place to live.
On September 20, 2026, I will run again for the Berlin House of Representatives to continue being a strong voice for Gropiusstadt, Buckow Nord, and the northern Blumenviertel. I ask for your vote to make this possible.
Yours, Marcel Hopp
Politics on your side—in concrete terms. These issues are especially important to me:
Affordable housing. So that Neukölln remains a home.
For many people in Neukölln, rising rents have long since become a real burden. To me, one thing is clear: housing should not be a risk factor for poverty. That is why I am fighting for a consistently social housing policy that puts the interests of tenants first—not the profit motives of large real estate corporations.
I advocate for a legally sound rent cap, a strong rent control measure with no exceptions, and consistent measures against exorbitant rents. We also need more neighborhood preservation zones and better protection against gentrification, conversion of residential properties to commercial use, and speculative vacancies. At the same time, significantly more housing must be built under public and public-interest ownership. That is why I am fighting for the expansion of municipal housing stocks, more new construction by state-owned housing corporations, and stronger support for housing cooperatives. New apartments must remain affordable—including for families, apprentices, seniors, and people with low to moderate incomes.
I also consider strong rent control in Berlin to be particularly important, one that effectively combats excessive rents and violations. Anyone who seeks to displace people from their homes or speculate on housing must face clear rules and a government capable of taking action.
To ensure that Berlin remains affordable, we must integrate housing, mobility, and urban development more closely—including in collaboration with Brandenburg. Because only through smart and socially responsible urban development can we ensure that Neukölln remains a home for everyone.
A good education for every child.
I am fighting to ensure that every child has the same opportunities for a good education—regardless of their family background or financial situation. Educational success in Germany still depends too heavily on social background. I want to change that.
That is why I am advocating for a fairer and more effective education system that supports children individually and opens up real opportunities for them to advance. I therefore want to further strengthen comprehensive schools, which enable students to learn together from grades 1 through 13, and—as outlined in the SPD Berlin election platform—double their number in the coming legislative term.
I am fighting for better all-day schools with more time for academic support, leisure, culture, sports, and social learning. This requires a genuine quality initiative in all-day schooling and stronger partnerships with community organizations, youth services, and social service providers.
Schools in challenging situations, in particular, need more support. That is why I am advocating for additional resources, robust school social work, and better working conditions for teachers, educators, and educational staff. In addition, our schools must become more modern—with well-equipped buildings, effective digital infrastructure, and up-to-date facilities in all districts.
Early childhood education is also crucial. That’s why I continue to fight for the expansion of daycare centers, high-quality care, and sufficient qualified staff, so that families have more support in their daily lives and every child receives the best possible support.
A city that stays affordable!
I’m fighting to ensure that Berlin remains affordable for everyone—especially now, when rising rents, prices, and energy costs are putting many people under pressure.
As I’ve already explained: Living in Berlin should not put anyone at risk of poverty. That’s why I’m advocating for more public and social housing, strong rent control, and effective protection against displacement. I want state-owned housing companies to guarantee fair rents and for more affordable housing to be built again for families, apprentices, and seniors.
But an affordable city also means good wages and job security. That’s why I’m fighting for collective bargaining agreements, fair pay, and good training conditions.
I’m committed to strong and affordable public transportation so that mobility doesn’t depend on how much money you have.
Families need relief—with tuition-free education from daycare through college and quality services right in their neighborhoods. We must continue to protect these!
I want vibrant neighborhoods with affordable commercial rents so that small shops, cafés, and community spaces can thrive.
The energy transition must also be socially just: climate protection must not lead to a greater financial burden on people with low and moderate incomes.
Berlin must not become a city where only a few can afford to live. I’m fighting for a city that sticks together—and where everyone has a place.
Strong neighborhoods. A community that sticks together.
For me, politics starts right here on the ground—in the local community, in the neighborhoods, and wherever people stand up for one another. A livable neighborhood therefore needs a strong social network of clubs, initiatives, neighborhood management programs, community centers, and sports and cultural activities. Here in Neukölln in particular, many people do amazing work every day to bring us together.
I’m fighting to ensure that this important work receives stronger support—through long-term funding, greater planning certainty, and better conditions for both full-time and volunteer work. After all, social cohesion doesn’t just happen on its own; it arises where people can meet, get involved, and take on responsibility.
The fight against loneliness is particularly important to me. Many people—especially older adults, but also young people and single parents—often feel left alone in their daily lives. That’s why I’m advocating for more neighborhood gathering places and cultural, sports, and social programs right in our neighborhoods.
I want Berlin to take social infrastructure just as seriously as it does roads or buildings. This includes good youth clubs, community centers, family programs, senior centers, and safe public spaces that are open to everyone.
Because a strong neighborhood means that people are there for one another—and that policymakers stand by their side.
Clean and safe neighborhoods. Policies that make a difference.
I want people to feel safe in their neighborhoods and enjoy living there—on the streets and in public squares, at subway stations, in parks, and in our neighborhoods. That’s why, for me, safety and cleanliness are integral to the quality of life in our communities.
Many people are noticing that littering, vandalism, and neglect are on the rise in some areas. We cannot simply accept this. That is why I am advocating for more staff and better equipment for the police, the Public Order Office, the BSR, and the BVG—and for closer cooperation among all stakeholders.
However, clean neighborhoods aren’t created solely through enforcement, but also through a well-functioning city. That’s why I support expanding neighborhood bulk trash collection days, improving cleaning services, and taking more consistent action against illegal dumping. Public spaces must be well-maintained, well-lit, and accessible to everyone.
Safety also begins with effective prevention efforts. I’m fighting to ensure that schools, youth services, social work, neighborhood management, and the local police work even more closely together so that problems are identified early and opportunities are created.
It is particularly important to me that everyone can move about safely—regardless of age, gender, or disabilities. That’s why we need accessible paths, safe routes to school, and urban planning that integrates quality of life and safety.
After all, a strong neighborhood also means that policymakers ensure public spaces remain clean, safe, and livable.
Quality health care. Right in your community.
Healthcare should not depend on where you live, your income, or your insurance status. I am fighting to ensure that everyone in Neukölln receives prompt and reliable medical care—from family doctors to hospitals.
Families, children, and older adults, in particular, need services close to home and short travel distances. That’s why I’m working to ensure that primary care and specialty care in our neighborhoods are secured and further expanded. Long wait times for appointments must not become the norm.
The Vivantes Neukölln Hospital is of particular importance to our district. As one of the city’s most important hospitals, it provides medical care far beyond Neukölln. I want our hospitals to remain well-equipped, have sufficient staff, and not be run into the ground by budget cuts. Good healthcare requires good working conditions for employees.
Preserving the Gropiusstadt Health Center has also been—and remains—particularly important to me. Together with many stakeholders, we were able to ensure that the facility remains open and that the medical practices can stay there long-term. This ensures that local care is available for approximately 130,000 patients each year. For me, one thing is clear: I will continue to advocate for the permanent preservation and strengthening of the health center.
Prevention and health promotion must also take center stage—especially for children, adolescents, and older adults. This includes quality counseling services, preventive health care, and social infrastructure right in the neighborhood.
Other issues that are important to me:
Better transportation links for South Neukölln. Mobility that works.
In Gropiusstadt, Buckow, and the Blumenviertel in particular, many people rely on reliable local public transportation. That’s why I’m fighting for better service intervals, faster connections, and a strong public transit system—even outside the city center. In particular, bus routes 171, 179, X11, and 181 need to run more reliably and more frequently. Better connections are also needed at night and on weekends.
I’m also continuing to advocate for the extension of the U7 to BER. That would be a real boon for South Neukölln and would significantly improve our connection to the airport and the surrounding region. At the same time, car-sharing services and modern mobility options must finally become more widely available in the city’s outskirts as well.
After all, good mobility means people can reliably get to work, school, the doctor’s office, or home.
Strong neighborhoods need good local amenities.
Vibrant neighborhoods need local shopping options, doctors’ offices, restaurants, cafés, the neighborhood library, banks, and services right on their doorstep. Short distances in everyday life are especially crucial for older people.
The Gropius Passagen remain a major attraction for all of South Neukölln. At the same time, I’m fighting to ensure that local amenities in our residential areas are strengthened and that small businesses, restaurants, commercial enterprises, and service providers remain in place and continue to be supported.
This requires targeted support for local retailers, affordable commercial rents, and vibrant neighborhood communities. After all, strong neighborhoods thrive where people can interact with one another in their daily lives. That’s what I’m committed to!
Empowering Seniors: Living an Independent Life in Old Age!
My goal is a Berlin where older adults can live independently, safely, and with dignity. Older adults deserve policies that stand by them. Growing older brings new challenges: loneliness, poverty in old age, or the need for care must not result in people spending their twilight years without support.
That is why I am fighting for a massive expansion of senior care services, including local counseling and support services, strong neighborhood and community centers to combat loneliness, and a determined fight against poverty in old age. At the same time, I want to break down barriers in public spaces—with accessible sidewalks, easily reachable transit stops, and a city where everyone can get around independently. I also want to strengthen older adults’ digital participation while protecting traditional, in-person services!
Climate action that is socially just.
We have long been feeling the effects of climate change here in Berlin as well—through heat, drought, and extreme weather. That is why I want Berlin to make faster progress on climate protection, but in a way that is socially just and practical for everyday life.
This includes expanding renewable energy, building climate-friendly structures, increasing green spaces in the city, modernizing the heating infrastructure, strengthening public transit, and expanding the charging station infrastructure for electric cars. At the same time, the costs of this transformation must not be shifted solely onto people with low and moderate incomes.
For me, climate protection and social justice go hand in hand. A climate-neutral city must also remain an affordable and livable city.
Protect the Blumenviertel for the long term.
Many people in the Blumenviertel have been struggling for years with rising groundwater levels and the resulting damage to their homes. That is why I have advocated—both in the House of Representatives and on the ground—for a long-term solution to finally be implemented. And it worked!
With the reactivation of the Johannisthal water treatment plant and the now-planned modernization of the well system, there is now, for the first time, a concrete and sustainable outlook for the Blumenviertel. This will allow groundwater levels to be better regulated on a permanent basis and will protect homes in the Blumenviertel in the long term.
For me, one thing is clear: the measures that have been initiated must now be consistently implemented. I will continue to ensure that the Blumenviertel receives the support it needs—so that years of problems can finally be turned into lasting solutions.
Family-friendly neighborhoods. Good playgrounds for children.
I want children in Berlin to be able to grow up safely and carefree. Especially in a big city, clean, safe, and well-equipped playgrounds are important places for families and neighborhoods.
As the father of a young child, I’m familiar with the everyday problems many parents face: litter-strewn playgrounds, broken equipment, or safety hazards. That’s why I support the SPD Berlin’s playground initiative—with more frequent cleaning, faster renovations, and better play areas and green spaces right in the neighborhood.
For me, family-friendly neighborhoods are essential to a city worth living in. After all, good public policy is often most evident right where families live their daily lives—right on their doorstep.
Preserve community gardens. Protect quality of life.
Our allotment gardens are important places for recreation, community, and the protection of nature and the climate. Especially in a densely built-up district like Neukölln, green open spaces are indispensable.
That is why, together with the SPD parliamentary group in Berlin, I have advocated for the Allotment Garden Preservation Act. This law will permanently protect all state-owned allotment garden sites, ensuring they can only be developed in clear, exceptional cases.
To me, it’s clear: allotment gardens are an integral part of a Berlin worth living in. They enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods and create important spaces for community and cohesion.
A clear stance against hate and misanthropy.
Neukölln stands for diversity, solidarity, and democratic coexistence. That is why I take a firm stand against right-wing extremism, racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and any form of misanthropy.
Especially in times of growing social division, we need policies that strengthen democracy and take a stand. That is why I am fighting for reliable funding for prevention efforts, democracy projects, and local civic engagement.
Anyone who threatens people or attacks our democracy must face a strong rule of law. At the same time, we must support those who work every day to promote solidarity and respect.
Focus on Young People
I am committed to ensuring that young people in Berlin have better opportunities, greater say, and affordable prospects. This includes strong youth clubs and recreational programs, more support for mental health challenges, and binding participation rights for young people. That is why I support the establishment of a Children’s and Youth Parliament at the state level.
I’m also fighting for better educational and vocational training opportunities, the preservation of the “Azubi-Ticket” (apprentice ticket), the establishment of an “Azubi-Werk” (apprentice housing cooperative), and more dormitory spaces, apartments for apprentices, and housing suitable for shared living arrangements.
And because there’s more to life than school and work, I’m also advocating for the return of the Youth Culture Card.