Die Linke's Neukölln Success Stems from Sustained Grassroots Organizing, Making the District a Target of Attacks That the Party Should Resist
Source: Frederik Blauwhof. "Neukölln, the Berlin District Where the Left Broke Through." October 13, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author says Die Linke won big in Berlin, especially in Neukölln, because its members spent years doing hands-on, democratic organizing alongside tenants, workers and movements, not just because of its policies or media image. That success has made the district a target for critics, and the author argues the party should stand firm rather than back down.
Conclusion
Die Linke's breakthrough in Neukölln and Berlin resulted from sustained, democratic, movement-rooted grassroots organizing by its left wing, not from media profile or policy alone. Because that success has made Neukölln the focus of attacks, the party should hold firm and not give in.
Premises
- Die Linke doubled its Berlin vote to 25.7 percent in September 2026, with gains of 25 to 30 points in poor neighborhoods like the Rollbergviertel, where it reached up to 55 percent.
- The victory followed a surge in coordinated local campaigning: Berlin membership grew from 7,200 in 2023 to over 19,000, and activists were visible at stalls, rallies and door-knocking.
- Activists were rooted in local struggles, such as organizing tenants against Stadt und Land and confronting the AfD on Karl-Marx-Straße. This let them build on existing relationships and win trust among cynical working-class voters.
- The Neukölln branch was built on anti-capitalist, anti-austerity foundations, with democratic branch structures (Basisorganisationen, regular district assemblies), movement participation and Marxist education. It grew steadily from 230 members in 2008 to 600 in 2020 and outperformed the Berlin average.
- The branch held its membership and activity through national crisis, the Wagenknecht split and internal ruptures, because its members focused on long-term strategic building rather than immediate electoral results.
- The strength of Die Linke Neukölln and the party's left wing is the reason attacks are now concentrated on the district and its Muslim voters.
Assumptions
- Local organizing was the decisive causal factor, more than national trends, the AfD's rise, or the party's policy agenda.
- Neukölln's experience is a replicable model and is representative of Die Linke's wider turnaround.
- The attacks on Neukölln are motivated by the left's success and are attempts to demonize the party, not good-faith criticism.
- Giving in to the attacks would betray the demands of the voters who backed the party.
- Membership growth and vote share gains reflect durable political commitment rather than a temporary protest vote.