Berlin – September 12, 2026 -- Elif Eralp, the Left Party's top candidate for the Berlin state election, has conceded that the planned socialization of large real estate companies cannot happen immediately and will require significant time to implement, she told broadcaster rbb.
Left Party targets landlords with over 3,000 units to curb rents
Eralp proposed socializing property companies holding more than 3,000 apartments as a mechanism to lower rents across Berlin by shifting a larger share of housing stock into public ownership. The party is also pushing for a rent cap on state-owned housing corporations and the creation of a dedicated State Office for Tenant Protection.
Candidate distances party from rapper's controversial Neukölln appearance
Eralp addressed a separate controversy involving a rapper who performed at a Left Party event in Neukölln and used lyrics calling for the destruction of the Israeli army. She said she and state party chair Kerstin Wolter had condemned the incident, which remains under internal party review. Eralp declined to comment on potential personnel consequences or on prosecutors' ongoing investigation into the matter, stating she had not been briefed and that the issue falls to law enforcement authorities.
She said she takes concerns from Berlin's Jewish community seriously and stands for the protection of Jewish, Muslim, and Palestinian life in the city, framing her position as one of reconciliation rather than division.
Eralp rejects Olympic bid, proposes property tax hike for state revenue
On fiscal policy, Eralp opposed a Berlin bid to host the Olympic Games, calling it a waste of public funds. To boost state revenue instead, she proposed raising the real estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbssteuer).