Die Linke wins historic Berlin election as CDU support collapses

The Left Party (Die Linke) has secured a historic victory in the Berlin state election, while the ruling centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered severe losses across Germany in a double blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The far-left victory in the capital coincided with a strong showing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on September 20, 2026.

Die Linke secures historic win in Berlin

Berlin voters turned out in high numbers on Sunday, with turnout reaching 74,2 percent in a strong display of civic engagement across the capital. Voting proceeded smoothly across diverse polling stations, marking the first time 16- and 17-year-olds were eligible to vote in state elections.

A minor administrative oversight in three districts, where teenage voters were initially handed incomplete ballot sets, was swiftly resolved by election officials.

Against this backdrop of high participation, Die Linke emerged as the largest force in Berlin's state election, capturing 25,7 percent of the vote and more than doubling its share from 2023.

The result marks the first time the party has topped state election polls in the capital, displacing the conservative CDU, which fell to 18,8 percent. The AfD took third place with 16,3 percent, followed by the Greens with 14,3 percent and the Social Democrats (SPD) with a historic low of 12,1 percent.

Social security & housing drive Berlin's new political mandate

Lead candidate Elif Eralp called the outcome a clear mandate to govern, focusing her campaign on rising living costs and the city's housing crisis. Eralp pledged to implement the 2021 referendum, in which 59,1 percent of voters backed proposals to nationalise private housing associations, bringing roughly 240.000 apartments into public ownership.

Post-election polling by Infratest Dimap revealed that social security and housing were indeed the primary issues driving voter decisions.

To form a government, Die Linke will likely look to negotiate a three-party coalition with the Greens and the SPD. Both parties have signalled an openness to enter talks, though key discussion points will include financing the housing strategy, which the SPD estimates at 20 billion euros, and a demand from Green co-leader Felix Banaszak for clear commitments to combat antisemitism.

AfD finishes top in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as CDU falters

On the same day, voters in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern delivered another significant shift, placing the far-right AfD in first place with around 38 percent of the vote.

The centre-left SPD followed closely with 35 percent. In a major setback, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU fell just below 5 percent, at 4,9 percent, resulting in exclusion from the state parliament.

Despite its first-place finish in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the AfD remains unlikely to enter government due to a firewall of non-cooperation maintained by the other main parties. The result nevertheless marks another substantial gain for the party in eastern Germany, following its victory in Saxony-Anhalt earlier in the month.

Facing mounting internal pressure over the poor results, Merz acknowledged the election outcome was a "disaster" for the CDU but insisted he would remain in post. "The reforms have to come," 70-year-old Merz said, as reported by Reuters. "I am taking on this responsibility because I want to move our country forward."