Die Linke wins Berlin election with 25.1 percent as Elif Eralp targets city hall

Election results and parliamentary balance

Die Linke finished as the strongest party in the Berlin Abgeordnetenhaus election, securing 25.1% of the vote according to ZDF projections on Sunday evening. The result represents a gain of 12.9 percentage points for the party. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) took second place with 19.2%, falling 9 points from previous levels. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) placed third at 15.8% (up 6.7 points), followed by the Greens at 14.3% (down 4.1 points). The Social Democratic Party (SPD) dropped 6.4 points to 12.0%, while the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) registered 4.9% as of late Sunday, remaining below the five percent threshold required to enter parliament.

Die Linke25.1%

CDU19.2%

AfD15.8%

Greens14.3%

SPD12%

BSW4.9%

Die Linke

25.1 %

CDU

19.2 %

AfD

15.8 %

Greens

14.3 %

SPD

12 %

BSW

4.9 %

Data from the article text

In the 130-seat state parliament, where 66 seats are needed for a working majority, the projection by Forschungsgruppe Wahlen gives a left-leaning coalition of Die Linke, the Greens, and the SPD a total of 77 seats. An alternative alliance of the CDU, the Greens, and the SPD under Stefan Evers would hold 68 seats. The incumbent governing coalition of the CDU and SPD fell to 47 seats, ruling out a continuation of the two-party administration.

Linke, Greens and SPD77

CDU, Greens and SPD68

Current CDU and SPD47

Linke, Greens and SPD

77 seats

CDU, Greens and SPD

68 seats

Current CDU and SPD

47 seats

Data from the article text

Eralp secures direct district victory

Lead candidate Elif Eralp secured a direct parliamentary seat in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg 1 constituency with 50.4% of first-preference votes. This marked an increase from the 27.1% she received in the 2023 election, finishing well ahead of Green candidate Kübra Beydas, who obtained 17.2%. Eralp, a 45-year-old jurist and deputy parliamentary leader who entered the state assembly in 2021, celebrated the results alongside state party leader Kerstin Wolter at the Festsaal Kreuzberg venue. Speaking to party supporters in Berlin, Eralp outlined her intention to lead the next state government.

“Let us go out and let us change Berlin.”

Coalition talks and party reactions

Following the announcement of the projections, Green state leaders Nina Stahr and Philmon Ghirmai expressed support for an alliance with Die Linke and the SPD. They stated that Berlin voters decided against the black-red coalition and opted for political change, adding that their party wants to forge a progressive alliance. SPD lead candidate Steffen Krach acknowledged the electoral defeat during a broadcast interview.

“We have been voted out. We have no mandate to govern.”

Campaign focus and background

Eralp was born in Munich in 1981 after her parents left Turkey following the 1980 military coup. She grew up in Dortmund and Hamburg, studied law, and worked as a legal policy advisor for Die Linke in the Bundestag before entering state politics. Her campaign strategy drew operational inspiration and door-to-door outreach tactics from New York politician Zohran Mamdani and advisor Morris Katz. Eralp centered her platform on housing affordability, advocating for a rent cap and the implementation of the 2021 referendum to transfer apartments owned by large corporate real estate companies into public ownership with compensation. Her platform also opposed restrictions on religious symbols in the public sector, including the police and judiciary.