Coalition negotiations in the German state of Berlin have been thrown into uncertainty after the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens suspended exploratory talks with Die Linke on Tuesday, 13 October, over concerns that commitments to combat anti-Semitism may no longer be upheld.
The immediate trigger was Die Linke’s decision to admit Vanessa Emde, a lawmaker known for her pro-Palestinian activism who has faced accusations of antisemitism over her positions on Israel, to its parliamentary group.
The move comes amid intense negotiations to form Berlin’s next state government following elections on 20 September. Berlin is both Germany’s capital and one of its 16 federal states, with its own elected parliament and state government.
Die Linke won 25.7% of the vote, emerging as the largest party. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came second with 18.8%, followed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 16.3%, the Greens with 14.3% and the SPD with 12.1%.
The result put Die Linke in a strong position to seek a role in the next state government. But the dispute over Emde and the anti-Semitism safeguards now threatens to derail negotiations with the SPD and Greens.
During the initial exploratory talks, the SPD, the Greens and Die Linke sought to agree on a procedure for handling allegations of anti-Semitism within Die Linke’s parliamentary group.
Under the proposed mechanism, a panel would examine allegations and could recommend the expulsion of a lawmaker if its members reached a consensus. If the panel failed to reach an agreement, external experts would be consulted.
The dispute escalated on Tuesday, when Die Linke admitted Vanessa Emde to its parliamentary group. The move raised concerns within the SPD and the Greens, who had understood that she would not be included in the group as part of the political understanding underpinning the talks.
Tensions deepened when Die Linke’s lawmakers signed a separate declaration committing to combat anti-Semitism and recognising Israel’s right to exist, rather than the joint text negotiated with the two parties.
The SPD and the Greens consequently suspended the exploratory talks to assess whether the agreed safeguards remained valid and whether Die Linke was still committed to the terms of their understanding.
Green party co-leader Felix Banaszak said his understanding was that keeping Emde out of the parliamentary group had been one of the conditions underlying the exploratory negotiations.
Born in 1981, Vanessa Emde is a Die Linke politician who won Berlin’s North Neukölln constituency with 46.2% of the first votes in the 20 September 2026 state election. Neukölln, a district of the German capital known for its large communities of Turkish and Arab origin, has long been associated with Berlin’s immigrant population.
Emde is a member of Die Linke’s internal Palästinasolidarität (Palestine Solidarity) working group, a network within the party that advocates for Palestinian rights and promotes pro-Palestinian positions.
She became a focus of controversy after reportedly saying at a pro-Palestinian event in Neukölln in May 2026: “There is no right to exist for states — people have a right to exist.” Critics interpreted the remark as questioning Israel’s right to exist.
Emde has also promoted pro-Palestinian demonstrations and criticised what she describes as the political use of accusations of anti-Semitism. Reports from a demonstration she attended described chants including “Fuck you Israel” and “Palestine is entitled to defend itself with stones and guns”.
Her admission to Die Linke’s parliamentary group has fuelled concerns among the SPD and the Greens about whether the party will uphold its commitments to combating anti-Semitism.
For now, the suspension is not necessarily the end of the coalition talks. The SPD and Greens have said they need to establish whether the original understanding remains valid before deciding how to proceed.
Coalition negotiations in the German state of Berlin have been thrown into uncertainty after the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens suspended exploratory talks with Die Linke on October 13 over concerns that commitments to combat anti-Semitism may no longer be upheld.
The immediate trigger was Die Linke’s decision to admit Vanessa Emde, a lawmaker known for her pro-Palestinian activism who has faced accusations of anti-Semitism over her positions on Israel, to its parliamentary group.
The move comes amid intense negotiations to form Berlin’s next State government following elections on September 20. Berlin is both Germany’s capital and one of its 16 federal states, with its own elected parliament and State government.
Die Linke won 25.7 per cent of the vote, emerging as the largest party. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came second with 18.8 per cent, followed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 16.3 per cent, the Greens with 14.3 per cent and the SPD with 12.1 per cent.
The final seat distribution, confirmed on October 12, gave Die Linke 45 seats, the Greens 25 and the SPD 21 in the 153-seat chamber. Together the three parties hold 91 seats, above the 77 needed for a majority.
The result put Die Linke in a strong position to seek a role in the next State government. But the dispute over Emde and the anti-Semitism safeguards now threatens to derail negotiations with the SPD and the Greens, which had formally opened only five days before the suspension.
During the initial exploratory talks, the SPD, the Greens and Die Linke sought to agree on a procedure for handling allegations of anti-Semitism within Die Linke’s parliamentary group.
The joint key points, presented on October 8, described Israel’s right to exist as non-negotiable and committed each party to act against anti-Semitism in its own ranks. Under the proposed mechanism, allegations would be handled under each parliamentary group’s own rules, with consequences extending as far as expulsion, while an independent three-member panel of experts could be asked to assess individual incidents.
The agreement was contested inside Die Linke, where more than 120 members signed criticism arguing the leadership had conceded too much to the SPD and the Greens.
The dispute escalated on October 13, when Die Linke admitted Emde to its parliamentary group. The move raised concerns within the SPD and the Greens, who had understood that she would not be included in the group as part of the political understanding underpinning the talks.
Tensions deepened when Die Linke’s lawmakers signed a separate declaration committing to combat anti-Semitism and recognising Israel’s right to exist, rather than the joint text negotiated with the two parties.
All 44 lawmakers present, Emde included, signed that text, which also affirms the protection of Jewish life and condemns Hamas as an Islamist terrorist organisation with an anti-Semitic ideology. It refers back to existing party resolutions rather than to the rules agreed with the SPD and the Greens.
The SPD and the Greens consequently suspended the exploratory talks to assess whether the agreed safeguards remained valid and whether Die Linke was still committed to the terms of their understanding.
Greens federal co-leader Felix Banaszak said his understanding was that keeping Emde out of the parliamentary group had been one of the conditions underlying the exploratory negotiations. He has since said he opposes continuing the talks, distancing himself from the Berlin branch of his own party.
Emde, 45, is a Die Linke politician who won Berlin’s Neukölln 1 constituency with 46.2 per cent of the first votes in the September 20 State election. Neukölln, a district of the German capital known for its large communities of Turkish and Arab origin, has long been associated with Berlin’s immigrant population.
Emde is a member of Die Linke’s internal Palästinasolidarität (Palestine Solidarity) working group, a network within the party that advocates for Palestinian rights and promotes pro-Palestinian positions. She joined Die Linke in 2022 and sits on the board of its Neukölln district association. German media have also linked her to the Marx21 network, which is monitored by Germany’s domestic intelligence service.
She became a focus of controversy after reportedly saying at a pro-Palestinian event in Neukölln in May 2026: “There is no right to exist for states — people have a right to exist.” Critics interpreted the remark as questioning Israel’s right to exist.
Emde has also promoted pro-Palestinian demonstrations and criticised what she describes as the political use of accusations of anti-Semitism. Reports from a demonstration she attended in the government district on October 10, which drew about 3,500 people, described chants including “Fuck you Israel” and “Palestine is entitled to defend itself with stones and guns”.
Her admission to Die Linke’s parliamentary group has fuelled concerns among the SPD and the Greens about whether the party will uphold its commitments to combating anti-Semitism.
For now, the suspension is not necessarily the end of the coalition talks. The SPD and the Greens have said they need to establish whether the original understanding remains valid before deciding how to proceed.
Berlin Greens leader Nina Stahr said the parties remained at the table and were waiting for Die Linke to return with an explanation. Die Linke co-group leader Tobias Schulze said his party wanted to keep talking.
Beyond anti-Semitism, the three parties remain divided over the city’s strained budget, housing policy and Die Linke’s plan to socialise large property companies. The CDU has signalled it would talk to the SPD and the Greens should they look for an alternative.
