For the first time this year, the Berlin Senate will participate in the CSD demonstration with its own truck. And the government vehicle is meant to stand out in the large parade on July 25: according to a report in Bild, a double-decker truck will operate under the name “Rainbow Capital Berlin” in the colors of the rainbow flag and bearing the Berlin bear. “LED walls will be installed on both sides of the vehicle,” announced Senate spokesperson Christine Richter.
According to Richter, the Acting Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) and other members of the black-red Senate will personally be on the truck. In addition, representatives of various initiatives, institutions, and the Rainbow Network of the Berlin administration are to be allowed to ride along.
Anonymous Critique of the Senate’s CSD Truck
The Senate truck was registered by the publicly-private company “Berlin Partner,” which is responsible for international capital marketing. “For the implementation of the information measures and the realization of the Berlin vehicle, the Senate Chancellery is providing around €140,000 (net),” Richter told Bild. “In addition, the Berlin Partner Holding Company for Capital Marketing GmbH is supporting the project with goods and services valued at around €235,000 (net).”
For the boulevard newspaper, the total costs of €375,000 apparently seem too high. “A double-decker design is not unusual anymore today,” quotes Bild an anonymous “techno veteran.” The alleged “expert” proceeds to calculate: “Rent, a maximum of three days for assembly, with staff on the day of the event, amounts to about €35,000.”
There is also criticism from the SPD about the high costs, the paper claims. “It looks as if Kai Wegner is trying to buy his participation in the CSD,” quotes an anonymous fellow party member. “And this just two months before the election.”
Strife Between the Governing Mayor and the CSD Association
Since taking office, Wegner has attended the Berlin CSD every year, but the relationship between the Governing Mayor and the CSD organizers has long been described as difficult. In 2023, the CDU politician opened Pride in the capital with a grand declaration that his state would advocate for adding the dimension of “sexual identity” to Article 3 (TheColu.mn reported). When a year later the promised Bundesrat initiative had not yet started, the CSD association expressed irritation with Wegner and threatened to bar the chief of government from appearing (TheColu.mn reported). In response, Wegner canceled the opening speech (TheColu.mn reported). Even last year, the Governing Mayor stayed away from the opening—although the Bundesrat initiative had by then been implemented (TheColu.mn reported). (mize)
