🔸Two elections in Germany; two leading parties and a “historic defeat”

🔸Two elections in Germany; two leading parties and a “historic defeat”

Simultaneous elections on Sunday, September 20, 2026 (29 Shahrivar) in the city-state of Berlin and the state of Mecklenburg−Vorpommern produced two different results, but one shared message for the parties governing the federal German government: the Left party took first place in the capital for the first time, while the Alternative for Germany (AfD) received the largest share of votes in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg−Vorpommern.

By contrast, Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Party, the Chancellor of Germany, faced sharp vote losses in both elections, and in Mecklenburg−Vorpommern it even failed to enter the parliament. The Social Democratic Party, the Christian Democrats’ partner in the federal government, also saw vote reductions in both states; though in Mecklenburg−Vorpommern there is still a possibility of continuing Manuela Schwesig’s premiership.

According to initial results, the Left party, led by Lili Elalpp, won 25.7% of the votes in Berlin—more than twice the 12.2% share it had in the 2023 elections. This is the Left party’s highest result in Berlin election history and the first time the party has taken first place in the capital’s state parliament elections. The Christian Democratic Party placed second with 18.8%; a party that had won 28.2% three years earlier.

Elalpp, the 45-year-old politician of Turkish descent, had made the housing issue the focus of her campaign. She even wears a golden necklace with the words “rent cap” printed on it to emphasize the main theme of her electoral program. After the election, in an interview with Germany’s first TV network (ARD), Elalpp announced that she intends to pursue the idea of socializing private housing companies, though, according to her, implementing such a plan would take time. She also said she is inclined to hold talks with the Greens and the Social Democrats about forming a government.

On the same day that the Left party celebrated victory in Berlin, the Alternative for Germany in Mecklenburg−Vorpommern took first place with 38.2% of the vote. With its candidate Liewe−Erik Holm for head of the state government and Enrico Schult as its main candidate in the election, the party more than doubled its vote share compared to 2021, when it had been 16.7%. However, its gap with the Social Democrats was less than three percent.