When Elif Eralp was 10, she rallied her friends to make hand-painted posters in her family’s garage, calling for the protection of the environment.
It was the early nineties in Germany and this was one of her first forays into activism. Her parents also inspired her by taking her along to political demonstrations.
Now, 35 years later, Eralp is taking her social justice advocacy to new heights.
On Sunday, her The Left party (Die Linke) won first place in Berlin’s state election – putting her on course to potentially become the next governing mayor of Germany’s gritty, creative capital.
Born in Munich to Turkish socialists and trade unionists who fled the 1980 military coup in Turkiye, Eralp’s victory could mark several firsts. She would be the first The Left party candidate to lead Berlin since German reunification in 1990, the city’s first mayor of Turkish descent – and its first woman of colour to hold the office.
Victory signals ‘strong desire for disruption’
Eralp’s campaign promises of affordable housing, rent controls and more political inclusion for immigrants and refugees contrasted with her rivals, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Two weeks ago, the AfD triumphed in Saxony-Anhalt. But on Sunday, they came third in Berlin.
Eralp’s party nabbed the most votes, but it now needs allies to take control of the mayor’s office.
As Germans look beyond traditional political candidates, her appeal may have grown, experts say.
“There was a strong desire for disruption and radical political change,” Martin Fuchs, a German political and digital consultant, told Al Jazeera.
Additionally, Eralp’s win after the AfD’s “shows that, in 2026, Germany is not only witnessing a rise in far-right parties, but [that] there continues to be a colourful, diverse, open and liberal Germany,” he added.
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