Die Zeit1 hour agoPolitics2 min readGermany

Berlin left-wing politician Eralp was a member of a banned left-wing extremist organization – FAZ research

Quick Look

According to FAZ research, the Berlin Left parliamentary group leader Elif Eralp was a member of the Rote Hilfe association, which the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified as left-wing extremist, but whose membership she ended last year.
At the same time, the Union and the SPD have agreed on a nursing reform, while the USA has completed its troop withdrawal from Iraq.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The Left in Berlin is preparing to explore a possible coalition with the Greens and the SPD. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies Rote Hilfe as the largest left-wing extremist organization in Germany. At the same time, the Union and the SPD are negotiating a nursing care reform to relieve the burden on nursing care funds, while the USA has completed its troop withdrawal from Iraq.

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The Berlin Left parliamentary group leader Elif Eralp and candidate for the office of governing mayor was a member of the Rote Hilfe association. This is what research by the FAZ revealed. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the association as the largest left-wing extremist organization. However, Eralp's membership, which lasted several years, ended last year, as the regional association announced. The first explorations between the Left, the Greens and the SPD are scheduled to begin in Berlin on Thursday. Criticism of a possible alliance comes from the CDU. "Neither the SPD nor the Greens can form a coalition with someone like that if they don't want to say goodbye to the middle class," said Gitta Connemann, chairwoman of the SME and Economic Union (MIT). Robert Pausch, political correspondent for ZEIT, explains what exactly Red Aid is and how Eralp's membership could affect the coalition talks.

The Union and the SPD have agreed on a nursing reform. A stabilization package is intended to relieve the burden on nursing care funds. The system is under “massive financial pressure,” said Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU). He had defended cuts in benefits in advance. The SPD, however, had threatened to block the reform because of the savings. She called for privately insured people to be more closely involved in financing the health insurance funds and to introduce a cap on personal contributions in homes. A commission of experts should now deal with the SPD's demands. Mark Schieritz, deputy head of the politics department at ZEIT, assesses whether a real compromise has been achieved and whether care is better secured.

Also in the update: The USA has completely withdrawn its troops from Iraq. The mission is officially over, as the US government confirmed two days after Iraq. The US and Iraqi governments agreed to withdraw in 2024.

And otherwise? Less bumping and more grip for paving stones.

Moderation and production: Jannis Carmesin

Editor: Hannah Grünewald

Collaboration: Lena Herrmann

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What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

In the coalition negotiations with the SPD and the Greens, the Left will experience pressure to show a clear distance from left-wing extremist organizations such as Rote Hilfe.
Likely · Within days
The care reform is likely to contain compromises that take into account both the SPD's demands for greater involvement of privately insured people and the Union's savings goals.
Possible · Within weeks

Open Questions

How exactly did Elif Eralp's membership in Rote Hilfe influence her political stance?
What specific changes does the nursing care reform provide for, and how will social insurance cover them?
What long-term security and political consequences will the US troop withdrawal from Iraq have for the region?