Die Linke has become the strongest party in Berlin following last Sunday's state election, securing 25.7% of the vote. The party's success is attributed to its focus on the city's housing crisis, which has seen rents rise by almost 70% in the last 10 years, despite a rent control law implemented in 2015.
Elif Eralp, Die Linke's lead candidate, centred her campaign on proposals for lower rents, increased public housing, and the implementation of a 2021 referendum for greater public ownership of housing. Eralp, 45, could become Berlin's first mayor from the left since Germany's reunification in 1990, and the city's first mayor with a migration background.
Despite winning the most seats, Die Linke lacks a majority to govern independently. Eralp will need to negotiate with other parties, including the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens, to form a coalition and enact her party's housing policies. The SPD is reportedly divided on forming a coalition with Die Linke.
Die Linke's primary ambition involves the compulsory purchase of housing portfolios exceeding 3,000 apartments from large private real estate companies, to be transferred into a democratically controlled non-profit public body. In response to the election results, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that a federal law could be passed to prevent the expropriation of privately owned housing.