What is the Green Party?
Bündnis 90/Die Grünen is an important political force in the Berlin House of Representatives. Although the party has not been part of the government since the 2023 election, it operates from the opposition within parliament.
Its guiding principle is ecological, economic, and social sustainability. It focuses on stronger climate protection, affordable housing, and a shift in transport policy away from fossil fuels.
In January this year, the Berlin Greens announced that the party had reached a milestone in membership growth and, with 17,852 members, has the largest membership of any party in Berlin.
Key figures ahead of the 2026 House of Representatives election are Werner Graf and Bettina Jarasch, who form the party’s lead duo. Werner Graf is the Greens’ lead candidate and parliamentary group leader in the House of Representatives. Bettina Jarasch is co-lead candidate and former Senator for Environment and Transport in Berlin.
Nina Stahr and Philmon Ghirmai are also important figures in the Berlin Greens. Together, they have led the Berlin branch of the party since 2023 and are organizing the election campaign.
What is Die Linke?
Die Linke (The Left) is one of the parties represented in Berlin’s parliament, the House of Representatives.
The party historically emerged from the merger of two parties: the West German WASG and the PDS. The latter was the successor party to the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), which led the GDR dictatorship until 1989. The merger also marked a political realignment for The Left.
Today, it focuses on social issues and supports democratic socialism. In the last Berlin election in 2023, The Left received 12.2 percent of the vote.
For the 2026 House of Representatives election, the party is running with lead candidate Elif Eralp. The Left’s parliamentary group in the House of Representatives is led by Tobias Schulze and Anne Helm.
What is the AfD?
The AfD (Alternative for Germany) is a right-wing populist party in Germany and is also represented in the Berlin House of Representatives, where it sits as in opposition.
Key figures of the Berlin AfD include Kristin Brinker and Thorsten Weiß. Kristin Brinker serves as both state and parliamentary group leader and is the lead candidate for the 2026 election in Berlin. Thorsten Weiß, as deputy parliamentary group leader, is particularly associated with the issue of internal security.
Politically, the party is clearly positioned on the right and focuses on topics such as migration, internal security, and criticism of the government. At the same time, it is highly controversial, and other parties in Berlin reject cooperation with it. As a result, its direct influence on political decision-making remains limited.
What is the BSW party?
The BSW currently has one member in Berlin’s House of Representatives. The party’s full name is “Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht – Reason and Justice” (“Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht – Vernunft und Gerechtigkeit”). The name points to the party’s founder, Sahra Wagenknecht, who was for many years an important politician in Die Linke (The Left). In 2023, Wagenknecht and several other politicians from Die Linke left the party and founded the BSW. One of the reasons for this was disagreements in areas such as migration policy. On these socio-political issues, the BSW is more conservative than Die Linke.
At present, Alexander King is the BSW’s only member in the Berlin House of Representatives. He was elected as a member of parliament for the Left Party and later joined the BSW. King is also the BSW Berlin’s lead candidate for the upcoming House of Representatives election.
Here you can find the Berlin Wiki page of Berliner Morgenpost.
