Elif Eralp and the German left-wing party Die Linke secured a historic victory in Berlin’s regional elections, capturing 25,7 % of the vote and positioning the 45-year-old politician as a leading contender to take over the Rotes Rathaus. The outcome, reported by regional media including the left-leaning newspaper Taz with the headline “La CDU expropriée,” follows a campaign anchored primarily on a sweeping promise to curb soaring urban living costs by transferring thousands of corporate-owned apartments back into public hands.
Berlin Election Results and the Rise of Die Linke
In the regional vote held on September 20, Die Linke finished ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which took 18,8 % of the vote, and the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which finished with 16,3 %. For a movement that traces its historical roots to the Socialist Unity Party of Germany that once governed East Germany, achieving the top spot in the capital represents a monumental milestone since reunification.
Eralp’s path to the mayor’s office remains dependent on coalition negotiations. To govern, Die Linke must successfully forge an alliance with the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens in the regional parliament. However, substantial policy divides already complicate those talks, particularly regarding the party’s central housing platform.
The Housing Crisis and the Expropriation Debate
Berlin’s housing market has experienced dramatic inflation, with residential rents roughly doubling over the course of a single decade. Throughout her campaign, Eralp emphasized affordability, wearing a golden pendant bearing the word “Mietendeckel”—referring to rent-capping measures—to signal her policy priorities.
At the center of her platform is a push to enact the results of a 2021 referendum on the “socialisation” of housing held by large real estate conglomerates. That referendum was approved by 59 % of voters but was never fully implemented. Die Linke’s proposed intervention could affect approximately 220 000 apartments across the city.
The proposal has drawn fierce political resistance due to its immense projected cost. Estimates range from several billion to tens of billions of euros, though Die Linke contends that rental revenue collected by the municipality would gradually offset the initial expense. Steffen Krach, the candidate for the SPD, has explicitly opposed the mass expropriation plan, warning that the dispute could block a coalition agreement.
Political Background and Campaign Strategy
Born in Munich in 1981, Eralp is the daughter of Turkish socialists who fled their home country following the 1980 military coup. After completing her legal studies, she worked for Die Linke’s parliamentary group in the Bundestag before moving to Berlin in the early 2010s. She subsequently built a political profile through grassroots activism opposing racism, tenant evictions, and gentrification, eventually winning election to the regional parliament in 2021.
Political analysts note a broader demographic shift within her party. Markus Kollberg observed in the Financial Times that Die Linke has transitioned away from its traditional base of older East German retirees toward young, urban female voters. Eralp herself adopted an unconventional retail politics style—frequently appearing in jeans, sneakers, aviator jackets, and hoop earrings—while running an intensive door-to-door campaign that directly addressed local concerns like urban cleanliness and public safety.
Eralp also drew tactical inspiration from international progressive movements, noting an exchange of ideas with Zohran Mamdani, elected mayor of New York in 2025. Alongside urban affordability, her platform prioritized a firm stance against the rising influence of far-right political factions in Germany.
Next Steps in Berlin Coalition Talks
With formal coalition talks on the horizon, the immediate test for Eralp and Die Linke will be whether they can reconcile differences with the SPD and the Greens over public property acquisition and municipal spending. Until formal agreements are reached in the regional parliament, the leadership of Berlin’s city government remains undecided.
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