Berlin election tests AfD and far-left Linke

Berlin's September 20 city-state election is shaping up around gains by the far-right AfD and the far-left Linke, with immigration, housing and the city's identity central to a polarised campaign.

The AfD topped a Berlin poll for the first time last week, scoring 19 percent in an Insa survey. In Marzahn, an eastern working-class district, the party won 31 percent in last year's national election.

The Linke has also been an occasional front-runner. Its top candidate, lawyer Elif Eralp, has campaigned on housing reforms and said she feared a recent attack on Berlin's main annual LGBTQ Pride event could help the AfD by feeding what she called racist narratives.

The attack killed a Polish woman and injured about 30 people. Police later shot dead the presumed attacker after he ran towards them with a bladed weapon.

Berlin is now governed by the centre-right CDU and the Social Democrats. The CDU has replaced Kai Wegner as its top candidate with Stefan Evers, while other major parties continue to maintain a policy of non-cooperation with the AfD.