Turkish-origin Eralp leads Left Party to historic Berlin win

Elif Eralp, the Turkish-origin human rights advocate who led Germany's Left Party to a stunning first-place finish in Berlin's state election, told supporters on Sunday that voters had handed her a mandate to form a new government after the socialist party doubled its support to capture 25.3% of the vote. Projections from German public broadcaster ARD placed the Left Party more than six percentage points ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU, which polled 19.1%, while the right-wing Alternative for Germany secured 16.2%.

Victory declaration

"Dear Berliners, thank you — thank you for your trust," Eralp told jubilant supporters in a Sunday night address. "Together, we have made history today," she said, adding that voters had delivered a clear mandate for change after a campaign focused on fighting social injustice and making the capital more affordable. The 45-year-old has drawn comparisons to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for embracing his democratic socialist blueprint, with some observers calling her "Germany's Mamdani."

Coalition arithmetic

Despite its commanding lead, the Left Party remained far from an absolute majority and would need at least two partners to govern Berlin. A projected three-party alliance with the center-left Social Democrats — who polled 12.1% — and the environmentalist Greens at 14.5% could secure approximately 90 of the 159 seats in the state parliament, comfortably clearing the 80-seat threshold required for a majority. By contrast, a CDU-led coalition involving the conservatives, SPD and Greens would likely capture only about 79 seats, falling short of the necessary majority.

Parliamentary threshold

The final composition of the Berlin state parliament remained uncertain pending official preliminary results, with the left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance standing at exactly 5.0% — the minimum threshold for entry. Whether the BSW maintains its position above the cutoff would significantly alter coalition calculations in the coming days. Eralp noted that Mamdani's 2025 victory offered a model for left-wing parties worldwide, including in Germany, as she prepares to negotiate with potential partners.