Politics · Germany · 48 mins ago
Berlin SPD and Greens pause talks after Left Party accepts disputed lawmaker
Berlin's SPD and Greens have paused talks on a three-party government with the Left Party after it admitted lawmaker Vanessa Emde to its parliamentary group.
The talks began last week after Berlin's election, with the Left Party seeking a coalition that could make Elif Eralp the city's first Left Party mayor.
SPD and Greens had said Emde should not join the group as a condition for continuing discussions.
The Left Party admitted her after its lawmakers signed a statement supporting Israel's right to exist and equal rights for people in Israel and Palestinian territories.
The decision has sharpened a dispute over antisemitism and the party's position on Israel.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz had also urged the SPD and Greens not to form a coalition with the Left Party, while Eralp called his intervention unacceptable.
The SPD and Greens say they will assess whether their earlier agreement still stands, and the coalition talks are now on hold.
Berlin’s Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens paused exploratory coalition talks with the Left Party on Tuesday.
They said they needed to assess whether the Left still stood by an agreement on measures to address antisemitism.
The pause followed the Left Party’s decision to admit lawmaker Vanessa Emde to its new parliamentary group.
The Left’s lawmakers had signed a statement on Israel and Palestine that differed from the text agreed by the three parties.
The Left Party won 25.7% of the vote in Berlin’s September 20 state election.
- Who
- Berlin’s SPD and Greens paused talks with the Left Party.
- What
- They halted exploratory coalition talks to assess whether the Left would honour an agreement on antisemitism measures.
- When
- Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
- Where
- Berlin, Germany.
- Why
- The Left admitted Vanessa Emde to its parliamentary group and its lawmakers approved a statement that differed from the joint text agreed by the three parties.
Berlin SPD and Greens
Berlin Left Party
Antisemitism safeguards
Berlin SPD and Greens
The SPD and Greens said they needed to assess whether the Left would take the agreed measures seriously and implement them.
Berlin Left Party
The Left’s lawmakers signed a different statement on Israel and Palestine than the one previously agreed by the three parties.
Vanessa Emde’s membership
Berlin SPD and Greens
The SPD and Greens had made Emde’s exclusion from the Left’s parliamentary group a condition for further talks, according to BILD.
Berlin Left Party
The Left admitted Emde to the parliamentary group, and its leader said Emde had signed the group’s statement.
The Left Party emerged as the largest force in Berlin’s state election, winning 25.7% of the vote.
The Greens, SPD and Left Party agreed on measures for handling antisemitic incidents as they began exploratory coalition talks.
The Left’s new parliamentary group admitted Vanessa Emde and signed a statement differing from the joint text.
The SPD and Greens announced that they were pausing exploratory coalition talks to assess whether the agreement still stood.
- Left Party vote share
- 25.7%
- State election
- September 20, 2026
- Disputed lawmaker
- Vanessa Emde
- Talks paused
- October 13, 2026
- Statement signatories
- 44 Left Party lawmakers
What people are saying
We have taken note that the Left Party have reached a different arrangement within their own party
We expect the Left to clarify the extent to which they intend to take the agreements we made seriously and implement them
What I consider unacceptable is that a Federal Chancellor Merz interferes in talks on forming a government in Berlin
She is now a lawmaker. And of course she must also recognise the significance she now has as a representative for our party, for our state association. In our view, she has proved that for now with her signature.
Sources
Germany news: Left-leaning Berlin coalition talks break down
Vanessa Emde in der Linksfraktion: SPD und Grüne unterbrechen Sondierungen
Berlin coalition talks called off over antisemitism deal concerns
Rot-Grün stoppt Verhandlungen mit Berliner Linken
Gespräche in Berlin: Linken-Politikerin Eralp verbittet sich „Einmischung“ von Merz
Regierungsbildung Berlin: Linken-Chef Pantisano kritisiert offenen Brief
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