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On September 26th a referendum was held in Berlin. The question? Should landlords be forced to sell nearly a quarter of a million apartments to the city.
The goal of the campaign to expropriate the apartments, is to reverse the massive rent increases that campaigners say threaten normal life in the German capital.
Many obstacles remain, but the move to take control of Berlin’s housing could redefine the relationship between landlords and tenants in the city.
The referendum has caught the attention of housing activists in Ireland. But could it ever happen here?
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In the latest episode of the In The News podcast, we talk to Berlin correspondent Derek Scally, activist Jenny Stupka, Hilary Hogan, a phd researcher in constitutional law at European University in Florence, and Eoin Burke Kennedy, The Irish Times economics reporter.
In the News is presented by journalists Conor Pope and Sorcha Pollak
You can listen to the podcast: