Friday, June 20
Die Linke surges 13 points to historic high in Berlin poll
If the polls hold until next year’s state elections, Berlin could see a new government led—for the first time ever—by the left. A new poll conducted by rbb shows that Die Linke, the Left Party, has surged in popularity over the past six months: now standing at 19 percent, second only to the CDU, and up an astonishing 13 percentage points.
Significantly, this would mean the current ruling “grand coalition” of the CDU and SPD would—based on this poll—lack a majority. The most likely alternative would be a “red-red-green” coalition of Die Linke, the Greens, and the SPD, with the unprecedented scenario of the Left Party taking the lead. This would also mark the party’s strongest showing in Berlin since the 2001 elections.
A growing trend of left-wing support in Berlin was already evident in the federal elections, when the party became the strongest political force in the city (covered in our March issue cover story). But the upcoming state elections may prove even more significant, as they present the party with a chance to claim the mayorship directly—with Berlin Left Party leader Maximilian Schirmer as the presumptive candidate.
The party has also seen a surge in membership: over 8,000 new members have joined in recent months. Among 16- to 34-year-olds, support has skyrocketed from just 11 percent a year ago to a robust 46 percent.
As for Berlin’s current mayor, Kai Wegner, the outlook is grim. Fifty-two percent of Berliners polled expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, with only 29 percent in favour. This gives him the worst approval rating of any state leader—or Ministerpräsident—in the entire country.
