Berlin says 'nein'
privatized water bills in the capital increased by 35% in ten years
Pass the referendum calling for a return to control the public
Berlin prepares to return to public water. A referendum that aims eventually to annul the partial privatization of water services management company ended yesterday with a triumph of yes: they served at least 616,571, 665,713 are reached. A result that surprised the promoters themselves. In the evening, in a circus tent near the old route Wall who leased the results to follow, there were more journalists and supporters of the referendum. "We had hoped, but I did not expect more given the low turnout in the morning, said Andreas Fuchs, the legal secretary-treasurer of the committee is proof that much can be done with few resources," recalling that the Committee had just 12 thousand euro obtained by donations. By way of comparison, the organizers of the referendum on religion in school, failed two years ago, had collected hundreds of thousands of euro. "An essential commodity like water can not be a source of profit, we want to come back in public hands-rejoices spokesman Thomas Rodek Committee. "E ' a signal for you in Italy, "adds his colleague Dorothea Harlin. The referendum asked to publish the contract by which the city of Berlin in 1999 sold to companies RWE and Veolia 49.9% of the municipal water services (Berliner Wasserbetriebe). According to Rudek, since 2001, water charges have risen by 35% and today are among the most ate in Germany. In Berlin, a cubic meter of water costs € 5.12, 3.26 in Cologne. Under pressure from developers, the municipality has published about 700 pages of the November contract for partial privatization: It shows that the city has guaranteed high profit margins to RWE and Veolia. Not only that, but from 1999 to 2009 RWE and Veolia have grossed più utili di Berlino (1,3 miliardi contro 696 milioni), e questo sebbene la città-stato detenga il 50,1% della Berliner Wasserbetriebe. 
Secondo indiscrezioni stampa, nel 1999 vennero firmate altre 5 intese i cui contenuti sono ancora oggi segreti. Ora ikl parlamento del Land dovrà votare una legge sulla pubblicizzazione integrale del contratto di privatizzazione. In caso di rifiuto il comitato referendario è pronto a fare ricorso. Il suo obiettivo ultimo resta però quello di riportare interamente la Berliner Wasserbetriebe nelle mani pubbliche. Evitando al tempo stesso di replicare quanto successo nella vicina Potsdam, dove la società di gestione dei servizi idrici è stata rimunicipalizzata dieci years ago but prices have gone up and now a cubic meter of water costs more than in Berlin: € 5.82. On Saturday, the city government had declared unnecessary consultation. Last night the Mayor Klaus Wowereit in trying to contain the damage. The result confirms our politics, he said. Berlin is in fact in talks with RWE to riacquistarela its share in the Berliner Wasserbetriebe.
Alviani Alessandro - La Stampa 14/02/2011
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