Siemtje Möller, the deputy chair of the SPD Bundestag faction, has explicitly advised the Berlin state association of the Social Democrats not to enter into a coalition with The Left party. Speaking on Friday during an interview on ARD's "Morgenmagazin," Möller stated she would not support such a move, arguing that the political constellation is unfeasible due to connections between some members of The Left and organized crime, as well as unresolved issues regarding antisemitism within the party.
Möller referenced a recent report by the magazine "Der Spiegel" which revealed that Elif Eralp, the lead candidate for The Left in Berlin, expressed fear of Hamas sympathizers in the city. According to Möller, this indicates that The Left's promises made during preliminary talks with the SPD and Greens regarding a tough stance against antisemitism and organized crime cannot be fulfilled. She further warned the Berlin SPD that they do not operate in a vacuum and must coordinate more closely with the federal party, as a local coalition could have repercussions on national and potentially international levels.
Despite these warnings from the federal level, the Berlin SPD state board has approved a member vote to decide on a potential coalition with The Left and the Greens. This decision allows all members of the Berlin SPD to vote on whether to accept the negotiated coalition agreement. Steffen Krach, the chair of the Berlin SPD, stated that he intends to continue coalition negotiations with Eralp despite the security concerns revealed in the "Spiegel" report. Krach noted that Eralp has clearly committed to fighting organized crime and antisemitism, though he expressed concern that she was unwilling to name specific individuals who appeared at a party election event.
The controversy stems from internal notes attached to an interview Eralp gave to "Der Spiegel," which were accidentally sent along with the text. The notes indicated that Eralp fears for her family's safety if she explicitly comments on a known Palestine activist, identified as Ibrahim Ibrahim, who is associated with Hamas sympathizers. Christoph Hickmann, head of the "Spiegel" capital bureau, defended the publication, stating that the public interest outweighed security concerns and that the editorial decision was unanimous.
In response to these revelations, Thorsten Frei, chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, called on the Greens and SPD to immediately halt coalition talks with The Left. Frei argued that a party tolerating collaboration with Hamas sympathizers cannot credibly take responsibility for the safety of millions of Berliners. Conversely, former Federal President Joachim Gauck stated that while a red-green-red coalition is not his personal preference, it reflects the voters' will and the parties should attempt to govern.
In other political developments, Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the border between South and North Korea on the final day of his Asia trip. Standing near the demarcation line in Panmunjeom, Merz remarked that he had practically stood with his feet on North Korean territory. He expressed gratitude that Germany has not suffered from such a division for 36 years and hoped Korea would one day regain state unity. Merz also criticized North Korea's deployment of soldiers to the war in Ukraine, emphasizing the interconnectedness of security between Europe and the Korean peninsula.
Regarding domestic security, three of the eight defendants in the trial against the right-wing extremist group "Saxon Separatists" have been released from pre-trial detention after nearly two years. The Dresden Higher Regional Court ruled that there was no longer sufficient suspicion for two defendants and deemed continued detention disproportionate for a third. A fourth defendant remains under arrest but may be released upon payment of a 20,000 euro bail. The group is accused of planning a treasonous enterprise to establish a separatist state in Saxony based on Nazi ideology.
Meanwhile, businesses along Berlin's Kurfürstendamm are boarding up windows with wooden panels ahead of protests organized by the "Gen Z regelt" initiative scheduled for Saturday. The movement is calling for demonstrations in approximately 30 cities to demand climate protection, measures against rising living costs, and opposition to conscription. While the initiative explicitly rejects violence, police anticipate thousands of participants in Berlin and have noted potential conflict due to the overlap with Halloween festivities. Two demonstrations are planned: one at Brandenburg Gate expected to draw 10,000 people, and another at Rosenthaler Platz in the evening, which police view as more critical due to the involvement of left-wing and pro-Palestinian groups.
Sources: FAZ.