Berlin state election: Left Party wins, SPD faces coalition dilemma with CDU or Left Party

With the CDU or with the Left Party? Do the SPD and Greens in Berlin still have a choice? In the end, the majority of seats could be decisive.

September 20, 2026 — 7:41 PM

At the Berlin SPD election party, Steffen Krach admits his defeat Photo: Maryam Majd/reuters

By Uwe Rada

Steffen Krach is not to be envied. With 12 percent, the SPD's lead candidate in the Berlin election achieved the worst result ever. "This is a catastrophic result," Krach admitted at the SPD election party at the Astra Club in Friedrichshain. "We have been voted out by the people of Berlin."

How things proceed remains open for Krach shortly after the announcement of the first projections. "On an evening like this, it is too early to already talk about the future." Instead, the SPD man sent congratulations to the election winner Elif Eralp from the Left Party. "I would like to congratulate those who won the election."

Actually, the SPD in Berlin had prepared itself to become the kingmaker after the election — to drive up the price that would come to them as kingmakers. Elif Eralp in the Red Town Hall or Stefan Evers from the CDU? Left-wing alliance or Kenya coalition? Krach would have liked to keep this open for a while. But does the SPD actually matter after election night?

According to the ZDF's first count, the Left Party won the election decisively with just under 26 percent. Together with the CDU, which only reaches 20 percent, a Kenya coalition would have only one seat above the absolute majority of 66 seats. A left-wing alliance, on the other hand, would comfortably reach 76 seats.

Nevertheless, in the coming days and weeks, it primarily depends on the fine print — and on the red lines that have already been drawn here and there. At least there, the SPD of election loser Krach still has some say.

Breaking point: Expropriation

While Green lead candidate Werner Graf already advocated for a left-wing alliance during the campaign, Krach stated that socialization of private housing companies would not happen with him. For the Left Party, socialization is again non-negotiable.

On election night, Steffen Krach held himself noticeably back. "We do not have a mandate to govern," he said. At the same time, however, he claimed: "The SPD is coming back."

Probably also for this reason, exploratory talks and coalition negotiations after the election could become more difficult than expected. The Left Party wants to decide at a party conference next Friday whether they will enter into exploratory talks at all.

Waiting for the Left Party conference

A novelty in the history of Berlin senate formations. After the committee meetings of the respective state executive boards on Monday, there will likely be a few days of silence in state politics in Berlin — at least officially.

And then? The probing begins. The Left Party will invite the Greens and the SPD. In parallel, the Greens and the SPD are also expected to speak with the CDU. However, despite the large majority for a senate consisting of the Left, Greens, and SPD, a quick decision towards Kenya or a left-wing alliance is not to be expected.

In the SPD, according to reports, concerns are growing that the Left Party, as the shining election winner, will further sharpen its demands. While a majority for exploratory talks is considered certain, there are voices within the Left Party warning against leading an austerity senate against the backdrop of the multi-billion-euro budget hole. Then not only the question of socialization could become the breaking point, but also the question of how stable a red-green-red coalition would actually be.

Perhaps things will turn out differently. It is quite possible that Steffen Krach will get a strong headwind at the meeting of the SPD state executive board on Monday — that he himself perhaps doesn't even have it in his hands to oppose the issue of socialization.

After the Left Party's election victory, a left-wing alliance has become very likely. And with a possible entry of BSW, it could even become the only possible coalition.