Polling stations open in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for state elections
Voters in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania head to the polls on Sunday to elect regional parliaments, with around 2.5 million people eligible in the German capital.
Polling stations opened at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT) across Berlin, where approximately 2.5 million voters are choosing a new state parliament. The legislature will appoint a successor to governing mayor Kai Wegner of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who is not running for re-election. For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds are eligible to vote in Berlin's regional contest. While foreign nationals cannot vote in the state election, European Union citizens are eligible to participate in parallel municipal district elections.
Pre-election polling in Berlin points to a tight contest between Die Linke, led by Elif Eralp, and the CDU, led by Stefan Evers. A survey conducted by the INSA institute placed Die Linke at 21%, the CDU at 20%, Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 18%, and the Greens at 15%. Because AfD has no viable coalition options, the eventual winner will need at least two coalition partners, potentially drawing from the Greens and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
- Die Linke
- 21 %
- CDU
- 20 %
- AfD
- 18 %
- Greens
- 15 %
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the governing SPD under Minister-President Manuela Schwesig faces a close race against AfD. Although AfD is projected to win votes without approaching an absolute majority, it is likely to remain in opposition. The SPD could seek to continue governing alongside Die Linke, potentially in a minority administration. The CDU faces the possibility of missing regional parliamentary representation for the first time, while the Greens seek to secure enough votes to return to the parliament in Schwerin.
