【By Observer News, Chen Sijia】On November 4 local time, Democratic Party candidate Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election. This result has boosted the American Democratic Party, and some see it as a sign of the Democratic Party's "comeback." U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries claimed that this represents the "return of the Democratic Party."
Because Mamdani identifies as a "democratic socialist," his victory has also raised the morale of many left-wing politicians in Europe. According to Reuters on the 6th, some European left-wing parties, including Germany's Left Party, have begun to believe that they can emulate Mamdani's approach, focusing on issues such as people's living costs in their campaigns, and countering right-wing parties with a more radical political agenda, such as taxing the rich.
In recent years, the influence and support of right-wing parties have been increasing in many European countries, including the UK, Germany, and France. The report states that Mamdani's victory seems to "ignite" the "passion" of the European left to fight back against the right.
Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral election IC photo
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, told Reuters that Mamdani's victory shows that "hope has defeated hatred," "this is important—not only because it is important for New York, I think it resonates around the world. It is about improving people's lives and making people aware of the inequality existing in New York and most parts of the world."
Polanski said, "It's expressing the idea that people's bills should be less, and that millionaires and billionaires should be taxed." In the UK parliamentary election last year, the Green Party of England and Wales won only four seats, but recently, the party's poll numbers have risen.
Living costs are one of the main concerns in British society. Reuters reported that the food price inflation rate in the UK reached 19% in March 2023, the highest level in 45 years. The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Reeves, said the UK government may need to make "difficult choices," and may need to increase taxes.
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales IC photo
The German Left Party has also paid attention to Mamdani's victory. Party leader Jan van Aken told Reuters, "The problems faced by New Yorkers are very similar to those we hear at our doorstep in Germany, such as unaffordable rents, prices for food, electricity, heating, and public transport rising faster than wages."
Van Aken said that the German Left Party maintains close contact with Mamdani and his team, learning from each other. "His campaign is like a blueprint for our Berlin elections next year. Mamdani's victory gave us momentum."
The German Left Party is pushing the German government to impose rent controls and free or subsidized transportation policies. The party's campaign posters carry the slogan: "We are fighting the rich, no one else is doing it." In the February 2024 German federal election, the Left Party received 8.8% of the vote, winning 64 out of 630 seats, higher than expected.
Jan van Aken, leader of the German Left Party IC photo
The French party "La France Insoumise," which is preparing for the 2027 presidential election, was also encouraged. Party member Manon Aubry posted on social media: "Finally, this teaches leftists around the world: We win not by softening economic liberalism, but by fiercely opposing it."
Some older European left-wing parties have started to reflect. German Social Democratic Party MP Rasha Nasr said, "For us, the Social Democrats, this means we must pay more attention to the core of our work—social policies for the general public."
The Social Democrats remain members of the German governing coalition, but in recent elections, the party achieved its worst results since World War II, winning only 120 seats.
In recent years, the influence and support of right-wing parties in Europe have continued to grow. For example, in the February 2024 German federal election, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party received 20.8% of the vote, ranking second, which is the best performance of an extreme right-wing party in a German general election since World War II. In the UK, the far-right Reform Party led by Nigel Farage has seen its support reach around 30%.
Mamdani will become the first Muslim mayor of New York City and the first South Asian mayor, as well as the first naturalized immigrant to hold the mayoral position in the United States since the 1970s. Reuters noted that New York has always been regarded as the "lighthouse of global capitalism," but Mamdani, who calls himself a "democratic socialist," has proposed plans for rent control and taxing the rich.
Whether Mamdani can implement these "radical agendas" after taking office remains a challenge. US President Trump has threatened to cut funding for New York City, and some people on Wall Street hope that Mamdani's reforms will fail.
Philipp Koeker, a political scientist at the University of Hanover in Germany, said that according to Mamdani's experience in New York, for European left-wing parties to win elections or prevent voters from moving to the far right, "they should stick to their core agenda, propose their own solutions to current issues, rather than imitate the far right by promoting anti-immigration policies."
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