Berlin district paid a nonprofit co-founded by its mayor and a CDU colleague with business interests; opposition opens inquiry
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What happened
Abgeordnetenwatch and Der Tagesspiegel reported on 17 December 2025 that former Berlin state legislator Christian Gräff (CDU) co-founded and leads Smart Living & Health Center e.V., which has received over 800,000 euros in public funds since its founding, while a real-estate company half-owned by Gräff advertised senior-living services in the association's premises. Marzahn-Hellersdorf district mayor Nadja Zivkovic (CDU), also a co-founder, as district councillor applied in 2019 for about 454,000 euros in funding; the district paid membership dues of 5,000 euros a year, raised to 20,000 from 2021. Gräff says he sees no conflict of interest; Zivkovic called the fees justified. Gräff left the state parliament in September 2025. According to taz (12 March 2026), opposition parties set up a district special committee, and Gräff and another named person have not attended its sessions to answer questions.
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