Berlin, July 2nd, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – Berlin’s political landscape has shifted dramatically just weeks before the city-state’s next election for the city state’s House of Representatives. A new poll shows the far-left party “Die Linke” emerging as the strongest force in the capital, while the conservative Christian Democrats (CD) of Governing Mayor Kai Wegner have fallen to fourth place.
According to the latest BerlinTrend survey by Infratest dimap, commissioned by the RBB, “Die Linke” would receive 20 percent of the vote if the election were held right now. The Greens follow closely with 19 percent, while the right-wing extremist AfD is at 18 percent. Wegner’s CDU is polling at 17 percent, a steep decline compared with the 28.2 percent it won in the 2023 repeat election.
The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the CDU’s coalition partner in Berlin’s current government, would receive only 13 percent. The liberal FDP and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) are both at 3 percent and would not enter the state parliament.
Most Important Topic
The election is scheduled for September 20th, meaning parties still have time to change the political mood. But the numbers represent a major challenge for the governing coalition of CDU and SPD, which would no longer have a majority. At the moment, only three-party alliances appear mathematically possible.
A potential coalition led by the Left together with the Greens and SPD would have a stronger majority than a possible alliance between the Greens, CDU and SPD. All major parties have ruled out cooperation with the AfD.
The poll highlights that Berlin’s biggest political issue remains housing. Thirty percent of respondents said rents and housing were the most important topic in this election campaign, an increase of six percentage points compared with the previous survey.
Key Concern
Transportation came second, with 12 percent naming mobility as a key concern. Migration and education each reached 8 percent, followed by public safety at 7 percent. Climate protection, cleanliness and government administration ranked much lower among voters’ priorities.
At the same time, many Berliners have little confidence that political parties can solve the city’s problems. Twenty-one percent said none of the parties had the ability to address Berlin’s challenges.
“Die Linke” gained the most trust in this category, with 18 percent saying the party had the greatest ability to solve problems, followed by the AfD at 15 percent. The CDU dropped sharply in this measure, falling to 11 percent, while the SPD and Greens each received 10 percent.
“A Warning Sign”
Wegner reacted to the poll by acknowledging that the figures were a serious setback for his party. “The numbers are anything but good, that is clear. But they are also a warning signal for the city,” he told the “Tagesspiegel” daily. The Governing Mayor pointed to the growing strength of political extremes. “The Left is now ahead, but we also have a very, very strong AfD,” Wegner said. “That is dangerous for the city. We will now do everything we can to strengthen the center.”
Wegner argued that national political trends were also hurting the CDU, saying that governing parties across Germany were losing support. “The CDU, CSU and SPD are continuing to lose approval,” he said. He also admitted that his party had made mistakes. He said voters needed to see reforms that provide security and are perceived as fair.
The poll also reflects widespread frustration with the Berlin Senate. Only 16 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the government’s work, while 78 percent said they were less satisfied or not satisfied at all. That result places Berlin’s government among the least popular state governments in Germany. Even among CDU supporters, only about half expressed satisfaction with the Senate’s performance.
Unpopular Mayor
Wegner himself remains widely known but unpopular. Eighty-three percent of Berliners recognize the Governing Mayor, but only 18 percent say they are satisfied with his work.
Other leading candidates remain far less familiar to voters. SPD candidate Steffen Krach, AfD candidate Kristin Brinker and Left candidate Elif Eralp have awareness levels between 27 and 33 percent. Green candidate Werner Graf is known to 24 percent of respondents.
The survey was conducted from June 25 to 29 among 1,165 Berlin residents through online and telephone interviews.
