Eifel Eralp, the lead candidate for the left-wing party Die Linke, is positioned to make history in Berlin’s upcoming regional elections by potentially becoming the city’s first mayor of Turkish descent. Berlin, home to nearly 4 million residents and the largest Turkish community outside Turkey, will hold these elections this weekend amid a contentious political atmosphere marked by rising housing costs and far-right gains.
Eralp’s campaign draws comparisons to Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic New York City council member known for his progressive platform. The two have exchanged ideas, and Mamdani’s campaign strategist visited Berlin in the spring to advise Eralp and her party. This collaboration reflects Die Linke’s broader strategy to capitalize on growing public discontent with soaring rents and the presence of far-right parties such as Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Polls show Die Linke is closely competing with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which currently holds the mayor’s office following its unexpected victory in Berlin two years ago. However, Berlin’s incumbent mayor faces widespread unpopularity, and Merz himself contends with intraparty challenges that could intensify should the CDU underperform in these elections, which also include a vote in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Die Linke, with origins in the communist Socialist Unity Party that once governed East Germany, has undergone significant transformation. A younger, more diverse leadership has emerged, embracing a hard-left and anti-capitalist agenda that has resonated with urban voters. The party’s membership has doubled in the last year, reaching 123,000 by the end of 2025, with a new base primarily composed of younger city dwellers, especially women.
At the heart of Die Linke’s platform is a contentious proposal to expropriate approximately 220,000 apartments from large corporate landlords, including Vonovia, a major real estate firm owning around 150,000 residential units in Berlin. This initiative builds on a 2021 referendum where 58 percent of Berlin voters supported expropriation of corporate-owned apartments. The party argues the cost—estimated between €7 billion and €36 billion—would be offset over time by rental income. Eralp has also pledged to impose rent caps on Berlin’s 400,000 publicly owned flats.
Despite its popularity with young voters frustrated by Berlin’s rapidly escalating housing market, the expropriation plan has triggered alarm among business leaders and financial institutions, which warn such policies could deter investment in the city. Additional support for Die Linke has been galvanized by concerns over the recent gains by the far-right AfD, both locally and in eastern German states such as Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD recently won a regional election.
Die Linke’s platform extends beyond housing. The party maintains a critical stance toward the Israeli government, particularly in relation to its actions in Gaza, which Eralp describes as “rightwing extremist.” On the issue of Ukraine, the party has moderated its previously more Russia-friendly positions.
While Die Linke may emerge as the leading party in Berlin’s assembly, an Eralp mayoralty is not guaranteed. The CDU could seek coalition partners to form a majority, and the Social Democrats (SPD), with their own candidate Steffen Krach, have rejected Die Linke’s expropriation proposals, potentially mirroring the current federal coalition that excludes Die Linke. Eralp remains optimistic about forming alliances with other left-leaning parties, stating that if Die Linke becomes the strongest force, its policies will gain influence regardless of coalition dynamics.