Germany's post-communist Left Party is dreaming big
Key takeaways
- The socialist Left Party has seen its membership soar and is especially popular with young female voters.
- Red is the color of the Left Party, but also of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).
- From 2016 to 2023 it was governed by such a three-way coalition — under the leadership of successive SPD mayors.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The socialist Left Party has seen its membership soar and is especially popular with young female voters. Could it soon come to power in the city state of Berlin?
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fi Sw Germany's Left Party is determining its course for the future Image: Chris Emil Janssen/picture alliance Advertisement"We are fighting in Berlin to turn the city red," read the main motion presented to the delegates at the Left Party's federal party convention. Red is the color of the Left Party, but also of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD). According to latest polls, a three-way coalition with the Greens could secure a majority in the September election for the city state's parliament.
Berlin has been "red" in the past. From 2016 to 2023 it was governed by such a three-way coalition — under the leadership of successive SPD mayors. This time, the Left Party is dreaming of winning the election and taking over the mayoralty itself, with its candidate Elif Eralp. The 45-year-old has a remarkable background: Her parents were active in politics and trade unions in Turkey before fleeing to Germany in 1980 as asylum-seekers following a military coup, just weeks before Eralp's birth.