"Europe's Brothel" Faces Ban Threat: CDU Attacks Berlin's Legal Sex Market
# Bundestag Chair Calls for Criminalization of Sex Work Purchase Bundestag President Julia Klöckner of the CDU has openly called Germany "Europe's brothel" and demanded the complete criminalization of purchasing sexual services. The statement threatens to dismantle a model that has been in place for over two decades and made Berlin one of the continent's most open cities for independent escort workers.
By Tetiana Suchkova-Ladik
May 23, 2026 · 2 min read
What's Happening in the Bundestag
The CDU/CSU has been laying the groundwork for this move for a long time: back in February 2024, the faction officially submitted a proposal to the Bundestag to transition to the "Scandinavian model" – criminalizing clients while preserving the legal status of sex workers. Now the rhetoric has intensified. Klöckner and her allies argue that the legalization law of 2002 did not protect women, but instead opened the door to human trafficking and criminal organizations.
A critically important moment: the official government assessment of the Prostitutes' Protection Act (Prostituiertenschutzgesetz), passed in 2017, is now being completed. Results were expected in 2025 – and what is written in them will determine the further direction of legislation.
Berlin – At the Center of the Controversy
Berlin itself – a city with over 500 brothels – is both a symbol and a target. According to TrystHub, a platform for independent escorts in Berlin, demand for verified independent providers in the city is consistently growing – precisely because the independent work model is legally legitimate and provides more control over safety than the street or illegal structures.
"When clients fear legal consequences, they seek even greater secrecy. Meetings are moved to isolated places without any safety system nearby"
– Anna, independent sex worker, Berlin-Friedrichshain, The German Review, December 2025
Who Is Against It – And Why It Matters
The coalition of opponents of the ban turned out to be unexpectedly broad. The SPD, the Greens, the FDP, and even the AfD do not support the Scandinavian model. Amnesty International and the WHO officially advocate for full decriminalization. Berlin's counseling service for sex workers Hydra and the human rights organization Decrim Now cite data from France, Sweden, and Northern Ireland: after the introduction of a client ban, the level of violence against sex workers increases rather than decreases.
The debate in the Bundestag continues. How this round will end will become clear in the coming months. But for thousands of independent escorts in Berlin, the stakes are already extremely concrete.
