BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - In the Berlin debate on the expropriation of large housing companies, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has sided with Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (both SPD) while joining the capital's election campaign. "Expropriations do not create new apartments," Scholz told the "Tagesspiegel" (online Saturday), addressing coalition partners the Greens and the Left in Berlin.

The latter want to implement the nationalization of real estate owned by large corporations, as demanded by referendum: "I consider it irresponsible to spread the illusion that, with a growing population with living conditions that have completely changed today, one could manage to meet the high demand without building new housing," the chancellor said.

The expropriation of large housing companies is one of the most controversial issues in the campaign for the repeated House of Representatives election on February 12. Since April, a commission of experts appointed by the Senate has been discussing whether and, if so, how to implement the request. In the referendum held by the "Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen and Co." initiative, a large part of Berlin's population voted in favor of the measure.

Left-wing top candidate Klaus Lederer had said he would present a bill within a maximum of one year if the commission gave the green light. Green Party top candidate Bettina Jarasch had named conditions for such a law on Friday and dampened expectations that it could be implemented quickly.

Scholz at the same time campaigned for Giffey's re-election. He attested that the city had economically "surpassed many other countries" and "recently achieved great economic growth," although it faced "challenges with the large population increase." "I trust a personality as strong as Franziska Giffey to master them," the chancellor said.

At the same time, Scholz renewed the promise of the traffic light coalition in the federal government, which has not yet been kept, to build 400,000 new apartments annually. "Of course, after everything that has happened in the world, the current price increases do not make things any easier," the chancellor admitted, but at the same time stressed, "But that is not why we are giving up on our goal. I want to manage to build 400,000 homes soon in a year, and then keep it that way." The money for more social housing construction is available, he said. He appealed to the construction industry to get ready to create more affordable housing.

The regional association of the Left in Berlin pointed on Sunday via Twitter to the already successful referendum on socialization. It is primarily a matter of securing affordable rents in the stock. "For affordable new construction, we have presented a municipal housing program," the Left announced via the short message service.

CDU state leader Kai Wegner called Scholz's remarks on Sunday "cheap bluster." "Mr. Scholz should know that his Berlin friends spoke out in favor of expropriations at the party conference in the summer and that Ms. Giffey, despite multiple red lines and a bad conscience, continues to leave everything open."/shy/maa/DP/stw