The Left leads in Berlin election — The Local Germany
In Berlin, Germany, The Left party (Die Linke) is receiving around 25% of the vote in the election, according to exit polls. Its lead candidate, Elif Eralp, is considered the main contender to become the next governing mayor of the German capital. The Christian Democratic Union is estimated to be in second place with around 20% of the vote. This was reported by The Local Germany, citing AFP.
Housing and rent
The 45-year-old Eralp and her party campaigned on promises to take decisive action to address Berlin’s housing crisis and reduce rents. Die Linke’s proposals include expropriating apartments owned by major corporate landlords. The source describes this initiative as controversial.
Eralp, the daughter of Turkish migrants, also presented herself as a candidate capable of countering growing support for the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. On the eve of the vote, she said that electing a person with a migrant background as Berlin’s governing mayor would be a powerful signal.
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Possible coalition talks
To form a government, Eralp will have to reach an agreement with other political forces. The source names the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Greens as the most likely partners in a “red-red-green” coalition. At the same time, SPD candidate Steffen Krach has already stated that he does not support the expropriation of apartments proposed by The Left.
Among other differences between Die Linke and Germany’s leading parties, the source cites security policy: The Left opposes military aid to Ukraine and supports Germany’s withdrawal from NATO. The party has also been criticized over anti-Israeli statements by individual figures in district branches. Eralp stressed her desire to support and develop Jewish life in Berlin and distanced herself from an incident at the party’s election event in Neukölln.
The candidate’s experience
Eralp’s parents, who were involved in socialist politics and the trade union movement in Turkey, fled to Germany after the 1980 military coup. She was born in Munich, studied law in Hamburg, and defended migrants’ rights. In 2010, Eralp began working for Die Linke’s parliamentary group and later moved to Berlin.
