Berlin CDU Gains in Poll After Lead Candidate's Withdrawal; Left Party Leads

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin has seen a boost in its poll numbers after Kai Wegner stepped down as the party's lead candidate for the upcoming state election. A recent survey conducted by infratest dimap for rbb shows the CDU gaining three percentage points, reaching 20% support and securing second place in the polls.

Despite the CDU's improvement, The Left party, with lead candidate Elif Eralp, remains in the lead with 22% of the vote, an increase of two points. Other parties experienced slight declines: the Greens are at 17%, the AfD at 16%, and the governing SPD at 12%.

The decision by Kai Wegner, the current Governing Mayor, not to seek re-election appears to be widely supported. The poll indicates that 77% of all respondents, and crucially, 76% of CDU supporters, view his withdrawal as the correct course of action. Wegner's decision was reportedly triggered by inaccurate statements he made regarding his actions during a major power outage in Berlin's southwest in January.

The CDU will now field Finance Senator Stefan Evers as its lead candidate. In a hypothetical direct election for mayor, Evers garners 11% of the vote, placing him ahead of Elif Eralp (9%) and SPD candidate Steffen Krach (7%). The Berlin House of Representatives election is scheduled for September 20.