OMM Redaksiyası
Germany’s socialist Left Party was on course for a historic first-place finish in Berlin’s state election on Sunday, according to ARD projections.
The party was projected to win 24.9% of the vote, almost double its 12.2% result in the 2023 election. It was nearly five percentage points ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which stood at 20.0%.
Projected results in Berlin
- Left Party: 24.9%
- CDU: 20.0%
- Alternative for Germany (AfD): 15.7%
- Greens: 15.0%
- Social Democratic Party (SPD): 11.9%
- Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW): 5.0%
The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) was projected to receive 15.7%, followed by the Greens on 15.0% and the center-left SPD on 11.9%. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, or BSW, was at 5.0%, just enough to enter the Berlin state parliament.
Addressing supporters at a jubilant rally on Sunday night, lead candidate Elif Eralp thanked Berlin voters for their confidence.
“Together, we have made history today,” Eralp said, adding that the result gave the Left Party a mandate to form a new government.
Who is Elif Eralp?
Eralp, a human rights advocate of Turkish origin, had led pre-election opinion polls and surprised many observers with her rise. Her victory could make her Berlin’s first governing mayor from a migrant background.
During the campaign, she drew on the democratic socialist message of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Eralp said Mamdani’s 2025 victory could serve as a model for left-wing parties around the world, including in Germany.
Both campaigns focused on tackling social injustice and improving affordability in major cities.
