A lawyer whose personal history as the child of Turkish political migrants has shaped her political journey is set to make history in German politics. Leading her far-left party, Die Linke, to a strong first-place finish in Berlin’s recent city-state election, she now stands on the brink of becoming the capital’s next mayor—the first of Turkish origin to hold the position. Her campaign began with a defiant statement about systemic barriers faced by people like her, reflecting both her background and the symbolic weight of her potential leadership. The election result has propelled her into the public spotlight as a rising figure in German governance.
Die Linke candidate, a lawyer affected by her experiences as the child of political migrants from Turkey, poised to head Berlin coalition governmentElif Eralp launched her election bid last autumn with the blunt statement: “People like me are actually not supposed to become mayor in this country.” So the fact that the 45-year-old lawyer and daughter of political migrants from Turkey is on the verge of becoming Berlin’s next mayor and the capital’s first leader of Turkish origin is quite the moment in German politics.After last weekend’s city state election, in which her far-left party, Die Linke, came first with more than a quarter of the votes, Eralp has become a household name. Continue reading...
