Zohran Mamdani’s must be a wake-up call to freedom’s defenders

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani attends a campaign event at Dutch Kills Playground on November 03, 2025 in the Astoria neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. On the eve of Election Day, Mamdani was joined by elected officials as he spoke during a volunteer canvass launch in Astoria. Mamdani, who leads in the polls and is the front runner in the mayoral election, is running against Independent New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa. More than 735,000 people have voted early, according to the Board of Elections, more than four times as many as in the 2021 contest. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The election of Zohran Mamdani signal the start of the anti-capitalist backlash. It must not be allowed to succeed, says Rainer Zitelmann

The election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City sends a powerful message worldwide. In the very heart of global capitalism, a socialist has won.

Frank Sinatra once sang in his famous anthem New York, New York:

“If I can make it there,
I’ll make it anywhere,
It’s up to you, New York, New York.”

That line will now resonate differently for socialists everywhere. Mamdani’s victory has global significance. It’s even conceivable that next year a socialist could become mayor of Berlin – current polling suggests that possibility is real.

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