▁in ▁the ▁health ▁service . ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁his ▁center - right ▁government ▁suffered ▁severe ▁losses ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁election ▁that ▁saw ▁an ▁unexpected ly ▁strong ▁showing ▁by ▁a ▁far - right ▁party , ▁which ▁campaign ed ▁on ▁an ▁anti - fore igner ▁platform , ▁and ▁a ▁win ▁of ▁the ▁Social ▁Democr ats ▁under ▁Walter ▁M om per . ▁Die p gen ▁subsequently ▁res igned ▁from ▁his ▁office ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁opposition . ▁ ▁Mayor ▁of ▁Berlin , ▁ 1 9 9 0 - 2 0 0 1 ▁Die p gen ▁was ▁again ▁elected ▁Mayor ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁elections ▁of ▁the ▁un ited ▁Berlin ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁ ▁Under ▁Die p gen ' s ▁leadership , ▁Berlin ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁states ▁that ▁voted ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁Bundes rat , ▁the ▁upper ▁house ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁Parliament , ▁in ▁Bonn , ▁despite ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁move ▁the ▁Bund est ag ▁and ▁most ▁government ▁ag encies ▁to ▁Berlin ; ▁the ▁Bundes rat ▁eventually ▁also ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁capital . ▁ ▁Also ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁Die p gen ▁ordered ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁a ▁ 3 . 5 - ton ne ▁sculpt ure ▁of ▁Vladimir ▁Len in , ▁wanting ▁to ▁rid ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁an ▁icon ▁of ▁a ▁“ dict ator ship ▁where ▁people ▁were ▁per sec uted ▁and ▁murder ed .” ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Die