Full Breakdown
Berlin’s September 20 State Election: Housing, Party Competition, and the Road Ahead
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 20 Berliners will vote for a new state parliament that will choose the city’s next mayor. The race is tight: Die Linke and the CDU each hover around 20 percent in recent polls, while the AfD trails at roughly 17-18 percent. The election follows a 2023 re-run triggered by procedural failures in the 2021 ballot and comes amid a deepening housing crisis that dominates voter concerns.
Background & Context
Berlin’s political landscape is fragmented by district-level “Kiez” loyalties. The incumbent CDU-SPD coalition lost its mayor, Kai Wegner, after a January power outage. The CDU replaced him with finance minister Stefan Evers, while Die Linke nominated lawyer Elif Eralp. The Greens, led by Werner Graf, and the SPD, now fronted by Steffen Krach, complete the field.
Data & Statistics
- 85 % of Berlin households rent.
- 211 000 additional homes are needed by 2040.
- Advertised rents have nearly doubled since 2014.
- 32 % of respondents in a Berlin Trend poll named housing the city’s most important issue.
- Recent polls place Die Linke at 21-23 %, CDU at 20-21 %, and AfD at 17-18 %.
Why Housing Dominates the Campaign
The shortage of affordable apartments fuels public anger, illustrated by a protest of thousands on September 5. Die Linke campaigns to expropriate large landlord portfolios—a policy rooted in a 2021 referendum where 56 % voted “yes.” The party also proposes a one-year rent freeze for state-owned housing and caps on rent increases. The CDU emphasizes law-and-order and economic growth but acknowledges the need for new construction, especially on contested sites such as Tempelhofer Feld.
Official Statements & Responses
Die Linke co-leader Kerstin Wolter stressed that “the rent situation is catastrophic” and linked the party’s surge to the housing emergency.
Criticism & Opposition
Die Linke has faced accusations of antisemitism after a campaign event in Neukölln featured a chant “Death to the IDF.” Its stance on the Gaza conflict and the expropriation referendum have drawn criticism from centrist parties and civil-rights groups, who label the platform “radical” and warn of legal challenges.
On-the-Ground Reports
Demonstrators on September 5 demanded rent controls, echoing club manager Jakob Turtur’s comment that they had to move because they could no longer afford the rent. Activist Anita Moeller warned that Tempelhofer Feld is “social and ecological infrastructure,” not land for development.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Polls differ on the exact standing of the three leading parties, and no source provides a definitive projection of post-election coalition composition, leaving the governing arrangement uncertain.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The question is: Do you have your own political offers? Are you trying to unlock new groups?” — Julia Reuschenbach, political scientist, Hamburg University
- “I think a lot of young people — much more than when I was young — are concerned with questions like climate change, will I still get a job,” — Kerstin Wolter
- “The referendum was 12 years ago, the need was nowhere near as great then as it is today,” — Stefan Evers, finance minister
- “Growth also has a downside: prices rise and, above all, land prices rise, so space becomes scarce,” — Martin Gornig, researcher, DIW Berlin
What’s Next
After the polls close on September 20, exit-poll results are expected shortly after 6 p.m., followed by official tallies later that night or the next day. Coalition negotiations—potentially involving the CDU, Die Linke, SPD, and Greens—will commence in the days thereafter, shaping Berlin’s policy direction on housing, infrastructure, and public services.