Corruption | Investigations against Berlin SPD top candidate Krach

Steffen Krach (SPD), top candidate in the 2026 election for the Berlin House of Representatives Photo: Jens Kalaene/dpa One and a half weeks before the House of Representatives election in Berlin, the Hanover public prosecutor's office began investigations against SPD top candidate Steffen Krach. In this context, three properties in Hanover and Berlin were searched, a spokeswoman for the authority told the German Press Agency. The public prosecutor's office did not comment on the specific allegations. According to “Tagesspiegel”, however, it is supposed to be about corruption investigations in the area of ​​a hospital in the municipality of Lehrte. The presumption of innocence applies. Krach, currently president of the Hanover region, denied allegations.

The “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” initially reported on the investigation. The “Tagesspiegel” reported that the Schöneberg apartment in Berlin and the SPD state party headquarters in Wedding were searched. In response to a dpa request, the Hanover region confirmed that Krach's offices in Hanover were searched. Krach is currently on leave from his role as regional president because of his top candidacy.

When asked, his spokesman said: "As the SPD Berlin and on behalf of our state chairman and top candidate Steffen Krach, we resolutely reject the allegations. Of course, we are cooperating fully with the authorities to dispel these unfounded allegations.”

Krach followed the call of the Berlin SPD last summer to be the top candidate for the election to the House of Representatives on September 20th. In 2021 he was elected President of the Hanover Region.

Krach has now also taken over the state party chairmanship together with Bettina König, who sits for the SPD in the Berlin House of Representatives. He can count on broad support in the Berlin SPD, which is characterized by wing struggles - even though the Social Democrats are doing poorly in surveys.

In the most recent survey by Infratest dimap, the SPD was only in fifth place with 11 percent, behind the CDU, the Left, the Greens and the AfD. An alliance of the CDU and SPD currently governs Berlin.

Krach has been familiar with politics in the capital for a long time. From 2014 and 2021 he was State Secretary for Science in the city where he came to study in 2002. dpa/nd

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