Politics · Germany · 6 hrs ago
Berlin Linke leaders ask Vanessa Emde to give up her seat
Berlin's Linke leadership has asked lawmaker Vanessa Emde to resign her seat after disputes over her positions on the Middle East.
Emde was elected to Berlin's state parliament on 20 September, winning a direct seat in Neukölln with 46.2% of the vote.
Party leaders say she repeatedly acted against shared party decisions, including commitments linked to a possible coalition with the Social Democrats and Greens.
Emde has faced criticism over statements concerning Israel's right to exist and demonstrated against her party leadership at a party conference last weekend.
The Social Democrats and Greens have made her absence from the Linke group a condition for a coalition, according to one source.
It is unclear whether Emde will give up her seat; the party may instead seek to exclude her from its parliamentary group.
Such an exclusion would require support from two-thirds of Linke lawmakers, according to one source.
Berlin’s Left Party leaders have asked state legislator Vanessa Emde to give up her seat in the state parliament.
State co-chairs Kerstin Wolter and Maximilian Schirmer said the party no longer trusted her and accused her of repeatedly disregarding shared decisions.
Emde’s positions on the Middle East conflict have drawn criticism within her party and from potential coalition partners, the Greens and Social Democrats.
The dispute is complicating efforts to form a coalition between the Left, Greens and Social Democrats in Berlin.
Whether Emde will resign is unclear; if she does not, the party may seek to expel her from its parliamentary group.
- Who
- Berlin Left Party state co-chairs Kerstin Wolter and Maximilian Schirmer asked legislator Vanessa Emde to give up her seat.
- What
- The party leadership called for Emde to return her parliamentary mandate. It said she had repeatedly disregarded shared decisions.
- When
- November 6, 2026, after a meeting of the party’s state executive.
- Where
- Berlin, Germany.
- Why
- The party leadership said it no longer trusted Emde and cited her repeated departures from shared decisions. Her positions on the Middle East conflict have also become an issue in efforts to form a coalition.
Berlin Left Party leadership
Vanessa Emde
Mandate
Berlin Left Party leadership
The leadership says Emde should return her seat, saying she repeatedly disregarded shared party decisions.
Vanessa Emde
Emde has not publicly responded to this latest request in the supplied articles; whether she will give up her seat is unclear.
Middle East statement
Berlin Left Party leadership
The party leadership says Emde’s actions have undermined shared decisions, including a statement affirming the protection of Jewish life and Israel’s right to exist.
Vanessa Emde
Emde distanced herself from the statement and has said there is no right of states to exist, only of people.
Emde won a direct mandate in her Neukölln constituency with 46.2 percent of the first-vote result.
Emde initially signed a statement on antisemitism affirming the protection of Jewish life and Israel’s right to exist, then distanced herself from it.
After an unsuccessful meeting with Emde, the parliamentary group leadership said further steps would be coordinated with party bodies.
The party’s state co-chairs called on Emde to give up her parliamentary mandate.
- Seat
- Berlin state parliament mandate
- Constituency
- Neukölln
- Election result
- 46.2 percent of the first-vote result
- Party co-chairs
- Kerstin Wolter and Maximilian Schirmer
- Potential next step
- Expulsion from the parliamentary group; a two-thirds majority is required
- Parliamentary group size
- 44 members
5 sources
„Wir vertrauen ihr nicht mehr“ - Berliner Linke will Israelhasserin Emde loswerden
Berlin: Berliner Linke fordert Mandatsverzicht von Emde
Berliner Linke fordert Mandatsverzicht von Emde
What people are saying
We no longer trust her.
She has repeatedly and deliberately disregarded our shared decisions. We say: Enough is enough.
A mandate is not a one-person business.
Schmierentheater