What happened in front of and in dozens of Berlin polling stations on September 26th was not only a novelty for the citizens tormented by notoriously incompetent district administrations.
The whole world watched as voters stood in line in the German capital or were even sent away because ballot papers were missing.
There was no shortage of explanations for this grotesque spectacle which the whole country has made ridiculous.
But the amalgamation of the referendum, the election to the House of Representatives and the German Bundestag was a political decision, as was the holding of the Berlin Marathon on the day of the election.
Now, however, the nonchalance with which the red-red-green Senate wants to make people forget its failure is definitely over: In a step that is unique in the history of West German parliamentarism, the Federal Returning Officer has objections to the election result in half the constituencies inserted.
Regardless of whether it is relevant to the mandate or not, the violation of the principle of equality of choice is evidently so serious that he was left with no other choice.
Now it is the Bundestag's turn.
The SPD, the Greens and the Left Party could be tempted to reject the objection out of consideration for the old and new Berlin coalitions.
The other groups should not shake hands with them.
Otherwise you would see each other again in front of the Federal Constitutional Court.
Luckily.