Far-left Elif Eralp wins Berlin vote on anti-AfD, pro-poor campaign

The far-left Die Linke party won Berlin elections Sunday (September 20, 2026), according to exit polls, making its lead candidate Elif Eralp the top contender to become the next mayor of Germany's capital city.

Ms. Eralp, 45, and her pro-poor party have promised dramatic steps to solve Berlin's housing crisis and bring down rents, including with a controversial pledge to expropriate flats held by large corporate landlords.

The daughter of Turkish migrants, Eralp has also campaigned as being the best person to counter the rise of the far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

"I believe it would indeed send a powerful signal if someone with a migration background were to become governing mayor of Berlin," she said on the eve of the vote.

Celebrating on Sunday (September 20), she exclaimed: "In our city, love and justice have triumphed over hatred."