Berlin Greens and SPD reject CDU exploratory talks, Klingbeil urges Linke to expel antisemitic members

Greens and SPD turn down CDU talks

On Tuesday evening, 3 November, the Berlin CDU offered exploratory talks to the Greens and the SPD, and both parties refused. CDU general secretary Lukas Krieger described the meeting, which ran more than two hours, as an overall good one. Greens state chair Nina Stahr said the parties had already told the CDU that no talks would take place, since coalition negotiations with the Linke are under way. SPD state and parliamentary group leader Steffen Krach added that the Greens and Linke party conferences and the SPD state executive had approved those negotiations. The budget and a CDU proposal for a clause against extremist staff in parliamentary groups were also discussed. Krieger said the CDU was determined to get something done with the Greens and SPD, although they reportedly want the Linke involved as well. Krieger described the invitations in these words:

“We invited them to exploratory talks, both verbally and in writing.”

Klingbeil calls for expulsions from the Linke

SPD chair Lars Klingbeil used the SPD economic forum to demand that the Berlin Linke remove politicians with antisemitic views or clan contacts from its structures. He said neither right-wing extremists, antisemites nor people with ties to clan milieus should hold responsibility in Germany. This was his first public comment on the Berlin government formation since the talks began. He drew a direct comparison with Saxony-Anhalt, where AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund could be elected minister-president in December.

“We cannot criticise Saxony-Anhalt when Berlin is run like this.”

Asked whether SPD state chair Steffen Krach knew of this position, Klingbeil answered "Klar" and pointed to Krach's remarks on ZDF's Markus Lanz. Krach had resisted equating Berlin with Saxony-Anhalt, and on Lanz he had struggled to give a clear answer on whether a coalition with the Linke would be ruled out if Vanessa Emde stayed in the faction. Klingbeil also defended the planned federal investment protection law, which sets high hurdles for nationalisations. He said investors had told him they would pull out if Berlin socialised large private housing stocks as the Linke plans, and he called that dangerous.

Vanessa Emde and the faction pact

The dispute centres on Neukölln MP Vanessa Emde, who faces criticism over her statements on Israel and Palestine. The Linke faction board discussed her on Tuesday without reaching a decision. Before exploratory talks began, the Linke, SPD and Greens agreed how to handle antisemitic incidents in a coalition, with sanctions ranging up to exclusion from the faction. When the Linke faction formed, every member signed a declaration committing to the fight against antisemitism, the protection of Jewish life and Israel's right to exist. That text was softer than the three-party pact, and Emde signed it to join the faction. She later distanced herself from the paper in an Instagram video, saying she stands by her statements, including that states have no right to exist while people do.

Coalition timetable and election arithmetic

Linke, Greens and SPD resume coalition talks from Wednesday, 4 November, after a pause on Tuesday. SPD state chair Bettina König said after the second negotiating round in the Berlin state parliament:

“We want to be far enough at the start of the year that we can present a coalition agreement.”

Member votes are planned afterwards. Linke and SPD members will decide on the government programme, while the Greens intend a digital opinion poll with a party conference holding the final word. Linke top candidate Elif Eralp, who could become the first mayor from her party in Berlin, said talks would also run between Christmas and New Year.

Linke25.7%

CDU18.8%

AfD16.3%

Greens14.3%

SPD12.1%

Linke

25.7 %

CDU

18.8 %

AfD

16.3 %

Greens

14.3 %

SPD

12.1 %

Data from the article text

In the 20 September state election the Linke won 25.7%, ahead of the CDU (18.8%), AfD (16.3%), Greens (14.3%) and SPD (12.1%), and the outgoing CDU and SPD coalition lost its majority. Arithmetically a CDU, Greens and SPD coalition would hold a narrow majority of two votes, but it is doubtful that all deputies would back such a so-called Kenia coalition.