Berlin parliamentary election poll: CDU gains with Evers, Left leads

Berlin's political landscape shows the Left party (Die Linke) currently leading in voter preference for the upcoming parliamentary elections, according to a recent poll.

The Infratest Dimap poll, conducted for RBB24-Abendschau and RBB 88.8, indicates that if elections were held now, the Left party would secure 22% of the vote, a 2% increase from the previous survey. This places them ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which has seen a boost following the introduction of Stefan Evers as their new lead candidate. The CDU now stands at 20%, a 3% increase, positioning them in second place.

Following the frontrunners, the Green party is polling at 17%, a 2% decrease, and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is at 16%, also down 2%. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is projected to receive 12% of the vote, a 1% decline. Both the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) are polling at 3%, failing to meet the 5% threshold required to enter the Abgeordnetenhaus (parliament).

The survey also revealed that 77% of respondents approve of the current Governing Mayor Kai Wegner not running again as the CDU's lead candidate. However, only about half of those polled (49%) are certain about their voting decision. These shifts in party support have led to a slight widening of the gaps between the parties. Without the AfD, potential coalition options include alliances between the CDU, Greens, and SPD, or between the Left, Greens, and SPD.

The poll, which surveyed 1,147 Berlin residents between July 13 and 15, acknowledges the inherent uncertainties in election polling, particularly due to declining party loyalties and increasingly last-minute voting decisions. The results reflect the political sentiment at the time of the survey and are not definitive predictions of the final election outcome on September 20.