Berlin’s Momentum in the Plenum
How should Berlin live, work, invest, start businesses, study and coexist tomorrow? These questions took centre stage on 1 September 2026 at Berlin’s Momentum – Raise Your Voice, an open, independent and non-partisan dialogue on Berlin’s future and the upcoming election, held in our Plenum. With the election to the Berlin House of Representatives taking place on 20 September, the event provided a platform to discuss key questions about the city’s future and bring together different perspectives on its development.
As AXICA, we were delighted to support this dialogue and provide a space for exchange between representatives from politics, business, civil society, science, public administration, culture, the financial sector, the start-up ecosystem, foundations and the next generation.
“Who is in the room?”
The panel featured Marco Hahnfeld from the CDU, Elina Schumacher from Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Dr Batuhan Temiz from the FDP, Kerstin Wolter from Die Linke, Michael Biel from the SPD and Anna Auerbach from Volt.The discussion demonstrated the value of bringing political positions into direct dialogue, while openly engaging with, questioning and further developing different perspectives.
When Two Hours Turn into Three
The event was originally scheduled to last two hours. In the end, the dialogue continued for more than three hours – a wonderful indication of the intensity of the discussions and the strong desire for exchange.The atmosphere and distinctive set-up of the Plenum provided the ideal setting: open, focused and approachable at the same time. In moments like these, it is easy to lose track of time – and that is often a good sign of a successful dialogue.We are delighted that our Plenum provided the setting for a format that brought together voices from different generations and areas of society. Our special thanks go to the initiators of Berlin’s Momentum, Mali M. Baum and Laura Luisa Keßler, as well as to everyone who contributed their perspectives and questions to the evening.
The project was managed by Nina Ostheeren-Benedicter.
Photos: © WLounge
