Berlin Election: Left Party Wins First Place; Merz’s CDU Suffers Historic Defeat in East

Berlin: Germany’s Left Party, led by Turkish-origin human rights activist Elif Eralp, came first in the Berlin state election with 25.3% of the vote, according to ARD’s initial projections, nearly doubling its support. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU took second place with 19.1%, followed by the far-right AfD with 16.2%.
Addressing supporters, Eralp said voters had given a clear mandate for change and that “we made history together today.” The 45-year-old, whose campaign focused on tackling social injustice and making Berlin more affordable, has been compared to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and dubbed the “Berlin Mamdani” by some observers.
The Left Party fell short of a majority and will need partners. A three-party alliance with the SPD (12.1%) and the Greens (14.5%) could win about 90 seats in the roughly 159-seat parliament, well above the 80 needed. A CDU-led coalition with the SPD and Greens would reach only about 79, one short. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) stands at exactly 5%, the entry threshold, so the final makeup of parliament remains uncertain until official results.
Meanwhile, in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the AfD led with 37.3%, followed by the SPD with 35.5%. The CDU managed just 5.3%, its worst-ever result in a German state election, putting its return to the state parliament at risk. Calling the result “devastating,” Merz rejected speculation that he would step down, saying he would remain chancellor and party chairman and press on with reforms.