Exploratory talks to form a new state government in Berlin broke down after the Left Party signed off on a different text regarding antisemitism. The Social Democrats and Greens suspended negotiations to assess whether agreed-upon measures to curb antisemitism still stand.
Germany’s Green Party and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) broke off exploratory talks with the Left Party in Berlin. The sudden halt follows an internal vote by Left Party lawmakers that replaced a previously negotiated text regarding antisemitism with the party’s own internal position paper.
The Antisemitism Agreement and the Left Party Meeting
Earlier in the month, negotiators from the Left Party, the Greens, and the SPD released a joint statement containing eight points aimed at establishing a clear line in the fight against antisemitism.
The document acknowledged a special responsibility to protect Jewish life in Germany and declared that Israel’s right to exist is non-negotiable.
The collapse of talks arrived after the Left Party admitted lawmaker Vanessa Emde into the state of Berlin’s new parliamentary group, a decision that sparked controversy due to her stance on Israel. When leading figures from Die Linke, the Greens, and the SPD appeared before the press regarding the talks, SPD leader Steffen Krach displayed a stony expression and body language signaling great tension. This stood in contrast to the relief radiating from Kerstin Wolter, who presented the results on behalf of Die Linke because top candidate Elif Eralp was ill.
On Tuesday, as 44 Left Party members of the new Berlin parliament met, they adopted a different text more closely aligned with past internal position papers. The party’s new version stated that We stand by Israel’s right to exist and for equal rights for all people in Israel. Equally we stand by Palestine’s right to exist and for equal rights for all people in Palestine,
while omitting the explicit non-negotiable status of Israel’s right to exist and the threat of internal expulsion.
Parties Halt Exploratory Talks over Policy Friction
The policy divergence triggered an immediate suspension of the exploratory talks. In a joint statement issued after the Left held its constituent meeting, the SPD and Greens announced they were halting discussions, stating, We expect the Left to clarify the extent to which they intend to take the agreements we made seriously and implement them.
The political friction stems from deeper sensitivities. Tensions over the Gaza war and stances on Israel have emerged as major fault lines in German politics, with the Left Party scoring well among young voters and migrant communities through an unusually stern line on Israeli wars in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East by the muted standards of German politics. The breakdown is also traced back to criticism regarding the appearance of a figure linked to organized crime at an election night after-party. The Left Party, represented in Berlin by lead candidate Elif Eralp, emerged from the September 20 state election as the largest force with 25.7 percent of the votes.
Conservative opponents seized on the breakdown.
