Berlin election: Die Linke wins, exit polls show

Exit polls put Die Linke first in Berlin's election on Sunday with about 25 percent, making lead candidate Elif Eralp the top contender to become the next mayor of Germany's capital.

The result was described by AFP as a historic first for Berlin. The centre-right CDU of Chancellor Friedrich Merz came second with about 20 percent, according to the exit polls.

Eralp still needs other parties to join her in government. The most likely route would be a coalition with the centre-left SPD and the Greens, but the SPD's lead candidate Steffen Krach has already said he opposes Die Linke's proposal to expropriate flats held by large corporate landlords.

Eralp and Die Linke campaigned on Berlin's housing crisis, lower rents and reducing social inequality. Eralp, the daughter of Turkish migrants, also campaigned as a candidate able to counter the far-right Alternative for Germany. Exit polls in Berlin put the AfD at 16 percent.

In a separate state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, exit polls cited in the earlier published results put the AfD first with 37 percent to 38 percent. The party still looked set to remain outside power in both states because other major parties have said they will not cooperate with it.

Die Linke faces possible coalition tensions beyond housing. The party opposes military aid for Ukraine and advocates Germany leaving NATO. It has also been criticised over anti-Israeli messages from some district-level figures, including after an August campaign event in Berlin's Neukoelln neighbourhood where a performer advocated an intifada and chanted "Death to the IDF!" Eralp distanced herself from the incident and has repeatedly emphasised support for Jewish life in Berlin.

Eralp has a few days or weeks to persuade potential partners that her Berlin branch is suited to govern. The SPD is currently the junior partner in Berlin with the CDU after breaking with a left-wing coalition following the previous election in 2023.