Die Linke wins Berlin's regional elections, promising the nationalization of housing

The far-left party Die Linke won Sunday's regional elections in Berlin, but the result was overshadowed by the far right's advance in a second vote held in a state in eastern Germany.

The left-wing party's victory represents a new signal of the fragmentation of Germany's political scene and brought another defeat for the governing coalition led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The parties in power recorded poor results, while parties on the extremes continued to consolidate their electoral position.

According to Reuters, the far right's progress was confirmed following the vote in the eastern state, after the party in question had also achieved growing results in previous elections. The development is being closely watched nationally, as eastern Germany remains one of the main areas of support for radical parties.

The victory could make Elif Eralp Berlin's first mayor from the Left Party (Die Linke). “Starting today, we will change Berlin together,” she said, according to News.ro.

The party's candidate to lead the German capital promised to implement one of the campaign's most controversial measures: transferring approximately 220,000 homes owned by large real estate companies into public ownership.

The results in Berlin and the eastern state paint a difficult political picture for the federal government. While Die Linke claims victory in the capital, the far right's advance and the governing parties' decline are increasing pressure on Friedrich Merz's coalition. Evidence regarding the distribution of seats and the parties' exact scores was not specified in the available information.