Die Linke, the German "left-left" party, wins the Berlin elections, and passionate Elif Eralp becomes mayor of the capital. "Dear Berliners, today we are changing our city. We have made history ," Eralp exulted as soon as the results handed her the city hall.
A 45-year-old human rights lawyer , Eralp considers the victory as "a sign that love and justice have won over hatred", demanding a barrier, at least in the capital, to the AfD's black wave.
Born in Munich to Turkish trade unionists who fled their country in 1980 , Eralp oriented her legal career towards the defense of human rights, particularly those of migrants, before joining Die Linke on the same day the AfD entered the German parliament for the first time in 2017.
The 45-year-old thus embodies the hope of many that Berlin can make a difference, sending a signal of the country's and the city's openness to migrants, and embodying the opportunities of the many young people living in the capital, home to 150 different nationalities. Commenting on her success, the 45-year-old did not hide her emotion as she thanked her parents, who taught her to "never give up, to always get back up, and to always make your voice heard."
Eralp, who "exchanged many ideas" with New York Mayor Mamdani during the election campaign, ran as a left-wing candidate with the promise of giving the city back to Berliners: starting with housing, the candidate's main focus, who wants to counter skyrocketing prices with a law that would allow the expropriation of real estate giants that own over three thousand apartments, with the precise aim of "making Berlin accessible again."
Key elements of the Left Party's program for the capital include a rent cap , the construction of thousands of new apartments for residents, universally accessible schools, the security of critical infrastructure, and financial support for culture, artists, and nightclubs in the capital. These ideas have gained popularity, especially among young people.
