Die Linke tops Berlin poll, pushing CDU and AfD into close contention
A new ARD poll shows Die Linke leading in Berlin ahead of the state election, with the CDU and AfD trailing closely.
According to an ARD-commissioned poll by Infratest dimap, Die Linke has risen to the top position in Berlin ahead of the upcoming state parliament election, overtaking the CDU which lost ground compared with the previous week. The AfD follows closely behind, marking its strongest showing in the poll’s history for the city. The Greens, while still competitive, slipped slightly, and the SPD, hampered by a criminal investigation into candidate Steffen Krach, dropped to fifth place.
The BSW and the party founded by Sahra Wagenknecht each sit below the five-percent entry barrier, though projections cannot entirely rule out a breakthrough. If the poll reflects the final vote, the current red-black coalition would likely be rejected, with the three leading parties sharing roughly a third of the vote together.
Why it matters
The shift could reshape Berlin's governing coalition and influence national political dynamics.
How this story developed
- Sep 6 AfD poised for historic win as Saxony-Anhalt election draws massive voter turnout
- Sep 6 The CDU publicly acknowledges a severe loss in the Saxony‑Anhalt election.
- Sep 7 Final seat projections released showing AfD with 39 seats and CDU with 16 seats.
- Sep 7 Final results confirm the Landtag has 83 members, the CDU holds 15 seats and the BSW secured five seats while signalling willingness to cooperate on selected issues.
- Sep 8 Günter Krings, a member of the German Bundestag, described the recent Saxony-Anhalt vote as far worse than expected, with the AfD securing 43.8% of the ballots. He argued the CDU should not entertain discussions about replacing Chancellor Friedrich Merz so soon after the far-right's victory. Krings urged the party to focus on rebuilding its credibility and blamed EU decisions for part of voter anger. The CDU’s share fell to 17.2%, roughly half of its previous support.
- Sep 9 Former US president Donald Trump praised the Alternative for Germany (AfD) after its impressive result in Saxony-Anhalt, blaming the country's immigration policies.
- Sep 9 Trump posted a congratulatory message to the AfD on Truth Social after the Saxony‑Anhalt results.
- Sep 9 Merz and AfD leader Alice Weidel clashed in a Bundestag budget debate following the Saxony‑Anhalt result.
- Sep 10 A new Insa poll shows the CDU sliding sharply in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, while the SPD narrows the gap with the AfD and smaller parties risk missing the threshold.
- Sep 10 Claudia Obert resigned from the CDU and Tino Schomann publicly demanded Merz’s resignation.
- Sep 11 Only the BSW agreed to talks as all other parties declined, and Chancellor Merz rebuked Donald Trump’s congratulatory post.
- Sep 11 A new poll confirms the AfD’s continued lead while the CDU’s support keeps slipping.
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