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Thursday 4, January

Berlin mayor Kai Wegner and his affair with fellow senator

A parliamentary question asks whether the Berlin mayor has been having an affair with the education Senator. And if so, for how long?

Photo: IMAGO / Funke Foto Services

Thursday 4, January

Is Berlin mayor Kai Wegner having an affair with another senator?

Shortly before New Year’s Eve, Berlin mayor Kai Wegner announced his separation from the mother of his two children. Now, it seems, the private life of the CDU mayor may become a political issue, with various newspapers reporting that a request has been filed in parliament asking whether “the governing mayor of Berlin is having a sexual relationship with another Senate member… a person whose professional position depends solely on him?” and “if so, since when?”

The individual in question here is Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) Berlin’s Senator for Education, Youth and Family. According to the reports, there have been rumours about such a relationship for some time. Most of their fellow CDU members apparently don’t have any problem with the affair, but there are some areas where it could prove politically tricky. On the topic of the budget negotiations, for example, Wegner has openly been against any spending cuts, saying in December: “In the areas of internal security and education, I don’t think we can save”. A potential relationship with the education senator could bring that stance under scrutiny.

This won’t be the first time Kai Wegner fell in love at work. His first marriage ended in 2015, one year after he hired his last partner as an office manager.