We took a cab to the election party of the SPD. The result, this much was clear after the first forecast at six pm., would be unpleasant for the Social-Democrats. And at the Lindengarten, another very German pub where politics is being made in this country, the mood was indeed a bit grim. But then again, as Pankaj, always the outside observer, mentioned, the clientele at Lindengarten was much different than the one at the place where the CDU of the Mitte district of Berlin had had its victory celebration: Younger, more diverse, just friendlier. Still, I tried to point out, this is a party with problems – shaking off the image of the past, their own fears, their inability to just do what people want them to do. Is this the Social-Democrat*s tragedy: They are a people*s party which is wary of the people? Just as we discussed this, the chance of an absolute majority for Angela Merkel became a real option. These were the poll results at around seven. Change of plans, go back to the office, see where we can take the story. Pankaj got off at Wilhelmstraße and continued on foot. He disappeared into the night, his camera still neatly strapped around his shoulders. I met Philipp Lengsfeld of the CDU again at the BBC which had its studio installed at the Berliner Akademie der Künste right above Brandenburger Tor. The journalists there were really polite, spoke fluent German, it was impressive to see that machine at work. Lengsfeld seemed cautiously optimistic about his chance of winning his Wahlbezirk. He would not, it turned out. He had his wife with him who did not look like the kind of wife you would expect for a candidate of the CDU, leather jacket, a hair-cut like Anita Pallenberg. Interesting. In a way too bad that he did not make it. Not that I have a lot of sympathies for the CDU.