Elif Eralp and Left Party Win Historic Berlin Election

The socialist Left Party (Die Linke) achieved a historic victory in the Berlin state election on September 20, 2026, securing 25.3% of the vote. Lead candidate Elif Eralp, a human rights lawyer of Turkish origin, is expected to become the city's first governing mayor from the Left Party and the first from a migrant background. The result displaces the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which finished second with 19%, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) recorded its best-ever Berlin result at 16%.

Eralp campaigned on a platform of reducing social inequality and combating the housing crisis, pledging to nationalize private housing associations to transfer approximately 220,000 units to state ownership. This victory is viewed as a significant blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the CDU amid a broader economic downturn.

To govern, Eralp must form a coalition, likely with the Greens (14.3%) and the Social Democrats (12.1%). However, the path to a majority is complicated by policy disputes and allegations of antisemitism. SPD lead candidate Steffen Krach opposed the housing expropriation plans, and Greens leader Felix Banaszak conditioned a partnership on a clear commitment to combat antisemitism. Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, urged other parties to avoid coalition talks with the Left Party. Eralp denied these claims, stating the party stands for the protection of Jewish, Muslim, and Palestinian life.