{"id":848,"date":"2026-09-28T13:11:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/jrn449-f26\/?p=848"},"modified":"2026-09-28T13:11:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:11:28","slug":"die-linke-surges-to-victory-in-berlin-state-elections-voters-split-on-significance-of-historic-win-frances-brogan-news-article","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/jrn449-f26\/die-linke-surges-to-victory-in-berlin-state-elections-voters-split-on-significance-of-historic-win-frances-brogan-news-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Die Linke surges to victory in Berlin state elections, voters split on significance of historic win (Frances Brogan News Article)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Germany\u2019s left-wing party Die Linke secured the most votes in Berlin\u2019s state election on Sunday, September 20, with party leader Elif Eralp, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, poised to become Berlin\u2019s next mayor. As the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) prevailed in other parts of the country, some see Eralp\u2019s victory in Germany\u2019s most multicultural city as a rebuke to the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies dominating German politics. But voters are divided as to whether Eralp\u2019s candidacy portends real change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eralp\u2019s <\/span>platform<\/span><\/a> highlighted affordability and alleviating Berlin\u2019s housing crisis, as well as social justice and standing up to the rising right. Die Linke won an unprecedented 25.7% of the vote in Berlin. The AfD finished a distant third, but put up a stronger showing than it has in past races, edging out the Social Democrats.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eralp has drawn <\/span>comparisons<\/span><\/a> to Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City who is lauded for his left-wing populism and charismatic style. But Melina, a young voter and pro-Palestinian activist in Berlin who asked to be referred to by her first name only, was skeptical about this analogy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cErap was trying to recreate Mamdani\u2019s aura, which I didn\u2019t think was authentic. She\u2019s not that radical, in my opinion,\u201d Melina said. She explained that she has qualms about Eralp\u2019s reluctance to take a stronger stand opposing Israel\u2019s conduct in Gaza. \u201cI can\u2019t say that things are going to change, especially when it comes to Palestinian life in Berlin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Others were more optimistic about how Eralp\u2019s background as a child of refugees may influence her governance. Julia Hack, a student from Frankfurt who described being highly engaged in politics as a teenager, praised the historic nature of Eralp\u2019s triumph.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe is the first elected mayor with a migrant background,\u201d Hack said. \u201cThat fits what you want from a Berlin mayor, because Berlin is such a diverse city.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Jan-Werner M\u00fcller, a German political philosopher and Professor of Politics at Princeton University, cautioned against exaggerating the novelty of Eralp\u2019s victory. He called the \u201cGerman Mamdani\u201d narrative \u201cfacile,\u201d pointing out that other prominent figures in German politics hail from a Turkish background, and Eralp is not the first leftist or female mayor of a major German city.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, M\u00fcller said, Eralp\u2019s win \u201cdeservedly gets attention.\u201d He added that she will now face pressure to deliver on the ambitious housing and expropriation promises that helped propel her to victory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hack expressed the view that Eralp\u2019s identity enhances her receptivity to the needs of her constituency. \u201cWith her migration background, she is closer to the average Berliner,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

M\u00fcller speculated that beyond Eralp\u2019s identity, Die Linke\u2019s welcoming approach to migration contributed to their ascendance in Berlin. He argued that center-right and center-left parties across Europe have begun \u201ccopying elements of far-right rhetoric\u201d on migration. \u201cI think it\u2019s understandable that people might want an uncompromising message in this regard,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Juli Janitz, a German student studying in the U.S., also echoed the belief that Die Linke\u2019s impressive performance may be partially attributable to the party\u2019s status as a counterpoint to the anti-immigrant hostility espoused by its rivals. The AfD \u201ccreates this fear of Germany being overrun by immigrants,\u201d Janitz said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Noting the significance of the decline in support for the center-left Greens, M\u00fcller observed that the Greens\u2019 willingness to work with the Christian Democrats, who are \u201cincreasingly soft on the far right\u2026.can look like they\u2019re legitimating [far-right migration policies].\u201d For many voters, Die Linke represented the only option prepared to unequivocally defend immigrants.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think living in a diverse city makes people more tolerant and open-minded,\u201d Melina reflected, when asked about why Berlin\u2019s voting patterns on migration might diverge from those of other parts of the country. \u201cBut Berlin is also not Germany. Berlin is an exception.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Germany\u2019s left-wing party Die Linke secured the most votes in Berlin\u2019s state election on Sunday, September 20, with party leader Elif Eralp, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, poised to become Berlin\u2019s next mayor. As the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) prevailed in other parts of the country, some see Eralp\u2019s victory in Germany\u2019s most multicultural<\/p>\n

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