Key facts
- The Left Party won the Berlin state election with 25.3% of the vote.
- The Left Party pledged to nationalize private housing associations.
- Elif Eralp, the Left Party's lead candidate, aims to reduce the influence of corporate landlords.
- The CDU came second in Berlin with 19% of the vote.
- The AfD took 16% of the vote in Berlin.
- The SPD received 12.1% of the vote in Berlin.
Germany's far-left Left Party won the Berlin state election on Sunday, securing 25.3% of the vote and pledging to nationalize private housing associations. The result, which saw the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) come in second with 19%, further highlights the erosion of the political center in Europe's largest economy and adds pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) also achieved its best-ever result in Berlin, taking 16% of the vote, and maintained its leading position in eastern states by winning in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Merz described the CDU's losses in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as a "disaster," marking the worst result in the party's history. Despite the setbacks, Merz has vowed to remain in office to push through tax and pension reforms aimed at reviving the sluggish German economy.
Elif Eralp, the Left Party's lead candidate, promised to tackle unaffordable rents and expropriate more than 200,000 housing units from corporate landlords. She stated that Berlin has voted for change and for the rent crisis to be tackled consistently. Vonovia CEO Luka Mucic said the group was ready to discuss solutions but that "socialisation doesn't create any new housing."
Potential coalition partners in the center-left Social Democrats and the environmental Greens have indicated they are ready to talk about forming a government. However, both have demanded Eralp address longstanding accusations of antisemitism leveled against some local branches of the Berlin party, often in connection with criticism of Israel. Eralp stated it was her "absolute priority" to ensure Jewish people, Muslims, and all other groups feel safe in Berlin and that the glorification of violence and terrorism is unacceptable.