Parteitag: Nächster Schritt zur Regierung: Linke in Berlin will mit SPD und Grünen verhandeln

The Berlin left-wing party has decided, with a large majority at their party conference, to explore negotiations with the SPD and the Greens for potential coalition government. The party's top candidate, Elif Eralp, may now initiate talks with both parties, potentially leading to her becoming the mayor of Berlin. However, it remains unclear whether the Greens and Social Democrats are willing to govern together with the left, which emerged as the strongest force with 25.7 percent of the vote in the upcoming election to the Berlin Parliament.

The main issues of contention are the plans to nationalize large housing stocks, which the left party intends to enforce through a referendum, and the anti-Semitism allegations directed at certain factions within the party. The Greens have stated they are open to forming an alliance. The SPD is divided on the issue, with party leaders Lars Klingbeil, Bärbel Bas, and Tim Klüssendorf condemning anti-Semitism and stating that the left party will not tolerate it or any "clan criminals" in their ranks.

The party has vowed to address these concerns. The underlying issues stem from the pro-Palestinian positions held by some party members and individuals connected to the Berlin left. A clan leader, Issa Remmo, was seen at a party on Sunday. Eralp denied involvement in organized crime. After the election, she stated that she has nothing to do with organized crime.

Remmo subsequently withdrew from public life and the Bundestag's Interior Committee due to controversial connections to Remmo's large family. Eralp emphasized that Jewish people must feel safe in the city and pledged to strengthen the diverse Jewish community and combat anti-Semitism. She also addressed the nationwide debate over the Berlin left's positions, stating that these accusations are not constructive criticism but have reached a destructive level.

Eralp emphasized that the accusations are not constructive criticism but have reached a destructive level. The Berlin SPD faction also has reservations about a coalition with the left, with former SPD mayors Michael Müller and Walter Momper warning against it. However, voices are growing in favor of collaboration. Cansel Kiziltepe, the vice-president of the Landesverband, stated that despite the SPD's significant defeat, there are obvious synergies between the left and the Greens.

The Social Senator added that, even if the SPD was significantly defeated, their intersection with the left and the Greens is evident. The democratic imperative, she argued, is to engage in coalition negotiations with these majorities.