Key facts
- Elif Eralp, daughter of Turkish migrants, is set to become Berlin's next mayor after her party, Die Linke, won the city-state election.
- Die Linke secured approximately 26% of the vote, surpassing the Social Democrats, Greens, and CDU.
- Eralp's platform includes tackling unaffordable housing and challenging corporate landlords.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz opposes Eralp's expropriation plans, warning of "calamitous effects" on the economy.
- Coalition talks are complicated by accusations of antisemitism and alleged ties to criminal gangs within Die Linke.
- One Die Linke MP has suspended parliamentary duties amid allegations of links to criminal gangs and a pro-Hamas organization.
Elif Eralp, a 45-year-old lawyer and daughter of political migrants from Turkey, is on the verge of becoming Berlin's next mayor after her party, Die Linke, secured first place in the city-state election with approximately 26% of the vote. Eralp's candidacy has propelled the party to prominence, and her victory is seen as a significant moment in German politics.
Eralp's campaign focused on tackling the city's unaffordable housing crisis, promising to challenge corporate landlords and real estate speculators. She vowed to be "a mayor for all Berliners," appealing particularly to younger voters and mobilizing those who typically do not vote. Her ambitious plans to expropriate over 200,000 flats from corporate landlords have drawn strong opposition from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who decried the policy as "socialism on speed" and warned of "calamitous effects" on the economy.
However, Eralp's potential rise to power is overshadowed by accusations that Die Linke has not adequately addressed antisemitism within its ranks and has tolerated support from criminal gangs. Potential coalition partners, the Social Democrats and the Greens, have demanded urgent clarification on these affiliations. In response, Die Linke announced that one of its Berlin MPs, alleged to have connections to criminal gangs and a pro-Hamas organization, would suspend his parliamentary duties. Eralp has sought to reassure critics, condemning any glorification of violence or terror and affirming protection for all communities.
Eralp's background includes parents who were trade unionists and socialists from Istanbul, who fled to Germany after facing political persecution. Her own life experiences with asylum processes, racism, and discrimination have shaped her worldview and political aspirations. She was inspired to join Die Linke in 2017 following the entry of the anti-immigration AfD into the Bundestag.