The Left has clearly won Berlin’s House of Representatives election, finishing well ahead of the CDU, which had previously led the state government. According to the election authorities, the Left, led by top candidate Elif Eralp, received 25.7 percent of the vote on Sunday. The Christian Democrats, led by top candidate Stefan Evers, received 18.8 percent.
The new House of Representatives will also include the AfD with 16.3 percent, the Greens with 14.3 percent and the SPD with 12.1 percent. The FDP failed to return to the state parliament, receiving 2.5 percent. The BSW also missed out on entering the parliament for the first time, with 4.7 percent. The Left will hold 47 seats in the new House of Representatives, while the CDU will have 35 seats. The AfD will receive 29 seats, the Greens 26 and the SPD 22. Voter turnout was 74.2 percent.
Compared with the 2023 House of Representatives election, the Left increased its result by 13.4 percentage points, more than doubling its previous share. The CDU lost 9.5 percentage points. The AfD gained 7.2 percentage points, while the Greens and SPD lost 4.1 and 6.3 percentage points respectively. Of the 78 direct mandates, 29 went to the Left, 26 to the CDU, 12 to the AfD, 10 to the Greens and one to the SPD.
Eralp won her constituency directly in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg with 50.4 percent of the vote. Evers, meanwhile, lost his direct mandate in Treptow-Köpenick, receiving 24.5 percent.
The previous coalition of the CDU and SPD no longer has a majority. Three-party coalitions involving either the Left or the CDU together with the Greens and SPD, however, would have a majority. The parties have ruled out coalitions with the AfD. Eralp made clear on election night that she is claiming the right to lead the government.
However, coalition negotiations could prove particularly difficult with the SPD. While the Left and Greens support the expropriation of large housing companies in accordance with a referendum, the Social Democrats oppose it.
The Left is also facing allegations of antisemitism. While Eralp repeatedly stressed that she wanted to promote Jewish life in Berlin, statements from, among others, the Neukölln district association suggested otherwise, prompting strong criticism from the Greens and SPD.
Berlin also held elections for the 12 district assemblies, which in turn elect the district mayors. The Left won the largest share of the vote in six of the assemblies, the CDU in four, while the AfD and Greens each won a majority in one district assembly.
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