Berlin's Mamdani? The Left's Elif Eralp poised to lead German capital

20.09.2026, 

dpa

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

By Andreas Heimann and Stefan Kruse, dpa

Elif Eralp is poised to become Berlin's next mayor after The Left came top in Sunday's election in the German capital, capping a remarkable rise for the 45-year-old to lead one of the world's most vibrant cities. 

Projections show The Left far ahead on 25% of the vote in Sunday's election, paving the way for a three-party coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens.

If she can seal a coalition, Eralp will become the first Berlin mayor from The Left - a successor of the socialist party that ruled the former East Germany - as well as the first leader of the city with Turkish roots. 

"If a left-winger can win in New York, it can happen in Berlin too," said Eralp last November after Zohran Mamdani's election victory. 

Having taken inspiration from Mamdani, the far-left politician campaigned a the message for Berlin to become a "centre of resistance against social cutbacks and the shift to the right."

In front of cheering supporters at the party's headquarters on election night, Eralp said: "Love and justice have triumphed over hatred, and this message is being sent out to the world."

Munich-born mother of two 

Politics has always been a part of Eralf's life. Her parents - socialist trade unionists - fled Turkey following the military coup with her pregnant mother carrying Eralp in her womb. 

Born in Munich in 1981, she later lived in Dortmund and Hamburg. As a child, she took part in demonstrations and was active in the anti-nuclear movement before studying law.

She now lives in Berlin with her husband and two children. After working as a legal policy adviser for The Left in the German parliament, the Bundestag, Eralp became a state lawmaker in the Berlin House of Representatives in 2021. 

She eventually worked her way up to become deputy group leader, standing out for her sharp attacks against conservative-led coalitions in Berlin, both at the state and federal level. 

Housing, housing, housing

In an election dominated by concerns over affordability and a housing crunch, a key plank of the party's platform was a pledge to bring large property companies under greater state control. "We are ready to take on the property developers," she said.

She is in favour of implementing the successful, but non-binding, 2021 referendum in the city, in which 56.4% of voters backed the expropriation of companies with more than 3,000 flats. However, passing the measure could be difficult in the face off opposition within the SPD.

Eralp - who has said she has been searching for years for a larger flat to rent for herself and her family - also wants to introduce a rent cap for state-owned flats. In recent months, she has regularly been seen wearing a small necklace bearing the words "rent cap."

The policy was enacted by the previous administration in Berlin in 2020, but was overturned by a federal court the following year.

Criticism over anti-Semitism

Following the election in Saxony-Anhalt earlier in September, in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as the strongest party by a wide margin, Eralp said she wants to make the capital a "place of hope and solidarity." 

"I am the answer for Saxony-Anhalt," she said.

The election campaign was not free of controversy for Eralp, however. She was routinely attacked by the right for failing to criticize anti-Semitism within the party's ranks, especially after a campaign event featuring a rapper who chanted "Death to the IDF" in reference to the Israeli military.

Eralp distanced herself from the comments and has disputed allegations of anti-Semitism within the party. 

Door knocking and social media campaigns

Eralp has wholeheartedly supported her party's strategy of knocking on as many doors in Berlin as possible. On social media, she campaigned tirelessly, often in various languages and usually in good spirits.

Berlin's mayor famously works in an beautiful red-brick building, and Eralp believes it is time for a city administration led by The Left. 

"The Red Town Hall must finally turn truly red," she said.

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