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- Preliminary results gave Die Linke 25.3% of the vote, according to Reuters.
- Eralp wants to become Berlin’s next governing mayor, but the post is elected by the state parliament after coalition talks.
- Her family fled Turkey after the 1980 military coup, shaping her political focus on migration, asylum and racism.
- Housing, tenant protections and antisemitism controversies were major themes in Eralp’s campaign and the coalition negotiations.
Elif Eralp, a 45-year-old lawyer and daughter of Turkish left-wing activists who fled Turkey after the 1980 military coup, has emerged as a central figure in Berlin politics following the state election.
Eralp led Die Linke in the election, with the party receiving 25.3% of the vote according to preliminary results reported by Reuters.
The result puts Eralp in contention to become Berlin’s next governing mayor. However, the position is not directly elected by voters. Berlin is both a city and a federal state, and the governing mayor is elected by the newly formed state parliament after coalition negotiations.
Eralp has said she intends to seek the position, with coalition talks expected to focus on potential cooperation with the Greens and the SPD.
A family history shaped by migration
Eralp’s personal history is closely linked to Turkey’s political history and Germany’s Turkish migrant community.
Her parents were socialists and trade unionists who left Turkey following the September 12, 1980 military coup amid political persecution. Her mother was eight months pregnant when the couple arrived in Munich, where they sought asylum with the assistance of Amnesty International.
Eralp was born in 1981. She spent her early years in Munich before moving to Dortmund, where her father worked as a doctor. At the age of eight, she moved with her family to Hamburg, growing up in the Altona district.
Her family background has influenced her political focus on migration, asylum, racism and the participation of people with migrant backgrounds in German society.
Legal career and political activism
Eralp studied law at the University of Hamburg from 2001 to 2007, specialising in criminology. She also spent part of her studies at the University of Alicante in Spain.
During her legal training, she worked in Hamburg courts, at Fuhlsbüttel prison and at a law firm specialising in migration and asylum cases. She also worked for the UN Refugee Agency in Berlin and at the German embassy in Ottawa.
She completed her second state law examination in 2009 and from 2010 worked as a legal policy adviser to Die Linke’s parliamentary group in the Bundestag, focusing on civil rights and democracy.
She was also active in the Verdi trade union, including its works council and collective bargaining committee, and participated in anti-racism organisations and initiatives supporting young people with migrant backgrounds.
Rise within Die Linke
Eralp joined Die Linke around 2017 and became involved in the leadership of the party’s Berlin organisation the following year.
She entered the Berlin House of Representatives in 2021 and retained her seat in the repeat election in 2023. She is now a deputy chair of both the parliamentary group and the party’s Berlin organisation.
Die Linke officially selected Eralp as its lead candidate for the 2026 Berlin election and as its candidate for governing mayor.
Housing at the centre of her campaign
Housing costs were a central issue in Eralp’s campaign. Around 85% of Berlin residents live in rented accommodation, while asking rents have risen sharply in recent years.
Eralp has supported implementing the outcome of Berlin’s 2021 referendum on the socialisation of housing owned by large private companies. The proposal would affect companies with more than 3,000 apartments and potentially around 220,000 homes.
She has also campaigned for stronger tenant protections and measures to limit rent increases, while advocating cheaper public transport and other social measures.
The debate over antisemitism
Eralp’s campaign also faced controversy over allegations concerning antisemitic and anti-Israel positions within parts of Berlin’s Left Party.
Following a party event in Neukölln, where an artist used slogans referring to the intifada and criticising the Israeli military, Eralp condemned the appearance and called for consequences from the local party organisation.
She has said that protecting Jewish life is a non-negotiable responsibility, while also arguing that criticism of the Israeli government should not automatically be considered antisemitic.
A coalition will determine the next step
Eralp is now at the centre of coalition negotiations following Die Linke’s election result. The final formation of Berlin’s government will depend on the parliamentary majority that can be assembled and the outcome of negotiations between the parties.
She has not yet become Berlin’s governing mayor. The newly elected state parliament must first be constituted and elect the officeholder.
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