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Antje Kapek

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Antje Kapek
Kapek in 2020
Leader of Alliance 90/The Greens in the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin
In office
30 October 2012 – 15 March 2022
Serving with Ramona Pop (until Dec. 2016) and Silke Gebel (from Dec. 2016)
Preceded byVolker Ratzmann
Succeeded byWerner Graf
Member of the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin
Incumbent
Assumed office
19 September 2011
Personal details
Born
Antje Kapek

(1976-09-20) 20 September 1976 (age 48)
Kreuzberg, West Berlin
Political partyAlliance 90/The Greens
Residence(s)Kreuzberg, Berlin
Alma materFree University of Berlin
Technische Universität Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin

Antje Kapek (born 20 September 1976) is a German politician of Alliance 90/The Greens. From 2012 to 2022, she was co-chair of the Greens parliamentary group in the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin. She was co-lead candidate in the 2016 Berlin state election alongside Ramona Pop, Bettina Jarasch, and Daniel Wesener.

Early life and education

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Kapek was born and raised in the Kreuzberg neighbourhood, then in West Berlin. She is the daughter of Frank Kapek, a former Green politician who served as member of the Abgeordnetenhaus from 1987 to 1989.[1] After graduating from the Robert Blum Gymnasium in Schöneberg, she studied geography with minors in law, transportation planning, and environmental management at the Free University of Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and the Humboldt University of Berlin. Subsequently, she studied for a master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning in the Netherlands, from which she earned a post-graduate degree. Kapek was also a scholarship holder of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. From 2007 to 2011, she was a research assistant to Michael Cramer, Member of the European Parliament. Kapek is married and mother to two children, and lives with her family in Kreuzberg.[2][3][4]

Political career

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Career in state politics

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Kapek has been a member of the Alliance 90/The Greens since 2005. She was compelled to enter politics after living and studying in the Netherlands in the early 2000s, during which time she witnessed the conservative shift in society which followed the assassination of Pim Fortuyn.[4] From 2006 to 2011, she was a member of the municipal council of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. From 2008, she was co-chair of the Greens faction there alongside Daniel Wesener.[3] She was also spokeswoman for urban development, environment, and transport policy.

Kapek was elected to the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin in the 2011 Berlin state election via the state list, on which she was placed third.[3] She became spokeswoman for urban development policy and, from November, deputy chair of the Greens faction. On 30 October 2012, she became co-leader of the parliamentary group, alongside Ramona Pop.[4][5]

In October 2015, Kapek was nominated as part of a four-member team of lead candidates for the 2016 Berlin state election alongside Bettina Jarasch, Ramona Pop, and Daniel Wesener. Kapek was placed second on the state-wide party list, and was elected to the Abgeordnetenhaus.[6][7] She also ran in the constituency Lichtenberg 4, winning 10.0% of votes. Post-election, she was a member of the main negotiating group which led the formation of the red–red–green government. In December, she was re-elected as parliamentary group leader; Silke Gebel succeeded Ramona Pop as her counterpart.[8]

In April 2021, she was again elected to second place on the Greens state list for the 2021 Berlin state election.[9] She was re-elected as both member of the Abgeordnetenhaus and subsequently as co-leader of the Greens faction.[10][11]

On 22 February 2022, Kapek unexpectedly announced that she would resign as leader, citing mental and physical exhaustion from political work.[12] She was succeeded by Werner Graf on 15 March.[13]

Role in national politics

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Kapek was nominated by her party as delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2017[14] and 2022.[15]

Political positions

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Kapek is considered a representative of the left-wing of the Greens. She advocates political transparency, citizen participation, the preservation of public spaces, and social and cultural diversity. She supports citizens' petitions and advocates the integration of social housing in new construction projects.[16][17]

Transportation

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Kapek believes that a major turnaround is needed in transportation in Berlin. She described the mobility law of the second Müller senate as a "law for the most vulnerable road users", such as children and the elderly. She advocates a "fairer distribution" of road space in Berlin, making it more accessible to the public, and improving traffic safety through stricter speed limits, increased traffic control, more speed cameras, and higher fines.[18][19][20]

In 2017, Kapek proposed the introduction of a fare-free student ticket for public transit, stating this would ease the burden for "very, very many Berlin families".[21] This was passed by the state government on 2018 and introduced in 2019.[22] She also called for a new funding model to expand public transport and close gaps in the existing network, suggesting the introduction of a general "citizen ticket" paid by all Berliners, and potentially a congestion charge.[23]

Urban development

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Kapek advocates socially responsible urban development that makes the preservation of "Berlin's lively blend of people, architecture, art, and culture" the basis of future policy. She views public participation as a key tool to involve people in the process of change, and for avoiding conflicts over the development of neighbourhoods.[24][25]

She also calls for the purchase of "citywide areas for green development" and for more resources to be spent on the maintenance and preservation of urban green spaces.[26] In her view, green spaces are "systemically relevant," which became even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.[27]

In response to the state of the Berlin housing market, Kapek has called for tightening of tenancy laws and expansion of tenant protection. She described housing policy as "the social issue of the next decade", and that it was essential to ensure that Berlin remained affordable for all.[28][29]

Tempelhofer Feld

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Kapek has repeatedly spoken out against building on the edges of Tempelhofer Feld, and defended the results of the referendum on the area, which saw 64% of voters support restricting development in the park.[30][31] She states that thought should be given to preserving green spaces as places of recreation rather than construction. Kapek advocates further developing Tempelhofer Feld as a "Central Park", and has repeatedly suggested that a swimming lake be created in its centre.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "Interview with Greens parliamentary group leader Antje Kapek: "During puberty I was not at all green with the Greens"". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 5 October 2018.
  2. ^ "About me". antje-kapek.de (in German). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Antje Kapek, GREENS". Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin (in German). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Election of the group leadership: overcoming the conflict". Tagesspiegel (in German). 30 October 2012.
  5. ^ "Pop and Kapek elected parliamentary group leaders of the Berlin Greens". Berlin.de (in German). 30 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Green cloverleaf with more eco". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 10 October 2015. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Berlin Greens convention: Greens elect leadership quartet for Abgeordnetenhaus election". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 10 October 2015.
  8. ^ Schulz, Bert (9 January 2017). "Red-red-green in Berlin before the conclave: "Starting signal for the departure"". Die Tageszeitung (in German).
  9. ^ "AGH election 2021: Greens Berlin draw up state list". Greens Berlin (in German). 24 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Exploratory talks: Who are the masterminds of the Berlin Greens?". B.Z. (in German). 11 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Berlin: Kapek and Gebel re-elected as Green faction leaders". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 11 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Green faction leader Antje Kapek resigns". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 22 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Werner Graf is the new faction leader of the Berlin Greens". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 15 March 2022.
  14. ^ Hildburg Bruns (7 December 2016), Wahl im Februar: Diese Berliner wählen den Bundespräsidenten B.Z.’’.
  15. ^ 17th Federal Convention, 13 February 2022, List of Members Bundestag.
  16. ^ "Housing construction in Berlin: Mauerpark becomes a top priority". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 5 March 2015.
  17. ^ "New district at Berlin Hauptbahnhof: Advertised low rents in Europacity - Not found". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 31 January 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2015.
  18. ^ "Antje Kapek: "We don't want a traffic revolution"". Berliner Morgenpost (in German). 24 July 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2017.
  19. ^ Prößer, Claudius (28 June 2018). "Greens on Berlin's mobility law: "A law for the most vulnerable"". Die Tageszeitung (in German).
  20. ^ "Fight against traffic offenders: Berlin Greens want to stop speeders with additional speed cameras". B.Z. (in German). 14 May 2018.
  21. ^ "Berlin Greens want free school tickets". Berlin.de (in German). 31 August 2017.
  22. ^ "Free student ticket: Here students in Germany travel for free". Märkische Allgemeine (in German). 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Interview – Greens parliamentary group leader Kapek: "We need a third financing pillar for public transport"". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 12 June 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020.
  24. ^ "Greens: preserve the "lively blend"". Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 14 October 2013.
  25. ^ "Berlin on the way to becoming the capital of participation". Heinrich Böll Foundation (in German). 22 May 2015.
  26. ^ "Urban development Berlin is planning 7,000 apartments on allotment plots". Tagesspiegel (in German). 22 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Berlin should get more parks: "Green spaces are systemically important"". Tagesspiegel (in German). 21 April 2020.
  28. ^ Kapek, Antje (30 January 2019). "Guest article by Antje Kapek on the fundamental right to housing: "Clearly counteract speculation"". Berliner Zeitung (in German).
  29. ^ "Berlin Greens faction leader Kapek: "We have to promote new construction projects faster"". Tagesspiegel (in German). 3 November 2017.
  30. ^ ""Cheap campaign manoeuvre": FDP referendum on Tempelhofer Feld met with criticism". Tagesspiegel (in German). 1 October 2020.
  31. ^ Lang-Lendorff, Antje (27 March 2019). "Development on the Tempelhofer Feld: Plenty of space for desires". Die Tageszeitung (in German).
  32. ^ "Debate on Tempelhofer Feld: The Left rejects development, Greens want swimming lakes". Tagesspiegel (in German). 11 May 2019.
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