Berlin Mayoral Candidates Clash Over Housing and Expropriation in Final TV Debate

Housing debate and socialization clash

Four days before the Berlin state election on 20 September 2026, six mayoral candidates debated housing affordability during a 105-minute broadcast hosted by public broadcaster RBB. Elif Eralp, leading the campaign for Die Linke, reaffirmed her commitment to implement the referendum on socializing large corporate landlords immediately upon taking office. Both CDU candidate Stefan Evers and SPD candidate Steffen Krach strongly rejected the policy, warning of immense fiscal consequences for the capital. Krach stated that paying out corporate landlords would drain city resources, estimating total compensation at between 20 and 30 billion euros.

I do not want the biggest cheque in the history of Berlin to go to Vonovia.

CDU candidate Stefan Evers similarly questioned how Berlin could fund over 30 billion euros in compensation without driving rents higher. AfD candidate Kristin Brinker dismissed the expropriation proposal as unworkable and costly, arguing it would produce no new apartments. Meanwhile, Green Party candidate Werner Graf proposed converting commercial real estate to ease pressure on the residential market, noting that two million square metres of office space are currently vacant. Michael Lüders of the BSW criticized past sales of municipal housing units by SPD and Linke administrations as the root cause of the crisis.

Competing coalition prospects and polling

The debate reflected sharp rivalries as parties positioned themselves for potential governing coalitions across the political spectrum. Stefan Evers and Elif Eralp entered the broadcast locked in a tight contest to lead the next state government, while SPD and Green contenders trail in voter preference. Krach attacked Eralp during the debate over her fiscal pledges, comparing her campaign strategy to federal promises made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

You are the Friedrich Merz of the Berlin election campaign.

Eralp dismissed the comparison with laughter, countering that federal conservative legislation was being drafted specifically to block her housing agenda. An Insa survey conducted on 14 September 2026 placed both the CDU and Die Linke level at the top of voter intentions, ahead of AfD, Greens, SPD, and BSW.

Infrastructure, drugs, and traffic safety

Beyond housing, approximately 90 Berlin residents in the studio audience, including representatives from the civic council Die 12, pressed the candidates on daily municipal management. All six candidates agreed unanimously when asked whether Berlin should establish a centralized construction site coordination authority staffed with adequate personnel and data infrastructure. Disagreements returned over road safety, where Krach proposed introducing a 10 km/h speed limit outside schools to prevent accidents, noting that 700 schoolchildren had suffered traffic injuries. On drug policy, Brinker urged police to focus enforcement on wholesale dealers rather than individual consumers. Graf countered that displacing substance users between public parks solves nothing and advocated for supervised drug consumption rooms.

Tensions over antisemitism in the studio

The debate grew tense when studio audience member Sascha Suden raised concerns regarding rising antisemitism in Berlin. Suden told the panel that Jewish residents in the city are increasingly afraid to wear the Star of David in public, referencing the Berlin wears Star of David campaign scheduled for 17 September. Suden stepped forward to distribute Star of David pins directly onto the podiums of the six candidates. Moderator Andrea Vannahme intervened immediately alongside co-moderator Sascha Hingst, collecting the badges and stating that political actions were prohibited during the broadcast. The discussion followed scrutiny over controversial stances within party ranks, including Linke youth sticker campaigns in Neukölln and a Palestine badge worn by BSW candidate Michael Lüders.