Berlin. The dispute over the formation of a government in Berlin is intensifying. According to a report by “Spiegel” about left-wing top candidate Elif Eralp’s concern about possible threats from Hamas sympathizers, politicians from the CDU and SPD are openly questioning her suitability for the office of governing mayor. There is also clear criticism from the federal leadership of the Green Party.
The trigger was an interview that Eralp gave to “Spiegel”. During the subsequent authorization, her team accidentally sent a version with internal comments to the magazine. This shows that Eralp did not want to name a known Hamas sympathizer out of concern for her family. The man showed up at a Left Party election party in Neukölln in September. Eralp pointed out that the State Criminal Police Office had advised her in the past “never to mention specific names”.
The domestic policy spokesman for the Union parliamentary group, Alexander Throm, reacted particularly sharply. “Ms Eralp is compromised,” the CDU politician told the Handelsblatt. "Anyone who does not speak the name of a terrorist sympathizer out of fear is not free. Anyone who is not free cannot govern." This applies regardless of political opinion.
Throm referred to the role of a governing mayor. She determines the political guidelines and appoints the Interior Senator. “If she is intimidated, Islamists and clans will indirectly govern,” warned the CDU politician. A coalition led by the Left has thus “completely disqualified itself from Berlin”. The SPD and the Greens would now have to explain “whether they will elect this woman to the Red City Hall.”
Former CDU chairman Armin Laschet also joined the debate. If Jews were afraid of a “toxic mix” of left-wing extremists, Hamas supporters and clan criminals, the SPD and the Greens should not continue to explore a joint state government, Laschet wrote on Platform X. “So far, so bad.” But now the designated governing mayor herself is also threatened. Laschet asked: “Does anyone in the Greens and SPD now understand what is threatening here?”
Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) also warned of a possible takeover of government by the Left. A government must resolutely confront extremists and criminals. She must “never make her actions dependent on these structures – and she must certainly not be afraid of them.”
The Berlin CDU top candidate Stefan Evers asked how Eralp, as governing mayor, wanted to guarantee the safety of millions of Berliners if she herself was afraid of the “Islamist environment in her party”.
The CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bavarian state parliament, Klaus Holetschek, made a similar statement. “The constitutional state cannot be intimidated,” he wrote on
Eralp's spokesman told "Spiegel" that the left-wing politician, as a candidate for mayor, had been exposed to insults, threats and hostility on a daily basis for months. On the sidelines of the inaugural meeting of the Berlin House of Representatives, Eralp himself also commented.
She said she wouldn't let anyone intimidate her. However, the fact that she is worried about her family is completely normal and a given. She makes a promise to all Berliners to take action against crime, violence and terror with all the means at her disposal.
Criticism does not only come from the Union. Former Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) advised his party to “refrain from this alliance in Berlin with the Left Party.” Personal fears are understandable, Lauterbach told “Spiegel”. However, when it comes to taking on a top office, this means: “Anyone who represents the state must not be afraid of people who threaten this state and its authority.”
Berlin's SPD leader Steffen Krach, however, reacted much more cautiously. It is too early to assess, he said. However, he was shocked by the report because it shows that there is a serious problem with organized crime in the city.
This increases the pressure on the Berlin Social Democrats. The party had spoken out in favor of coalition negotiations with the Left and the Greens. This decision was already controversial within the SPD. The new allegations against Eralp are exacerbating the conflict.
The federal chairman of the Green Party, Felix Banaszak, also sees a significant need for clarification. He did express his sympathy. Banaszak told “Spiegel” that no one should be prevented from expressing themselves freely out of concern for their own safety or that of their family. At the same time, however, he took the Berlin Left to task. “Now, at the latest, no one can even begin to relativize the danger posed by these structures,” he said.
“If you want to lead this fight credibly and effectively, you also have to be clear and consistent about the connections between these milieus and your own party,” emphasized Banaszak. So far, the Berlin Left has not answered any of the open questions. “The way the Berlin Left deals with this complex remains sobering,” he said.
Eralp, however, received support from Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow (Left). He criticized the publication of internal notes from the interview as “questionable”. As a result, “a person who feels unprotected and communicates this internally is specifically injured – and made even more unprotected,” Ramelow told “Stern”.
