In cosmopolitan Berlin, elections still closed to foreigners

Abdu Taviq, an Egyptian software developer, ended up in Germany's capital more or less by chance seven years ago. "I wouldn't say I chose Berlin," he told DW. "It was just that the company that offered me a job was here." But now he loves it. The culture is "better than any other city I have experienced," he said. That's partly because of its diversity, but he also likes the way Berliners approach life. "They're more interested in living than just working," he said. "Here I feel life is more relaxed, and this also offers the opportunity for people to get more creative.