News blog on federal politics Accusation of anti-Semitism: Leftist Elif Eralp reports Alexander Dobrindt
September 28, 2026, 4:55 am|
The Federal Minister of the Interior is said to have made a statement about Eralp as an “anti-Semite”. This constitutes the offense of slander and insult, explained the Berlin politician's lawyer.
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Important updates
Dispute over accusations of anti-Semitism: Leftist Elif Eralp reports Dobrindt
Habeck denies rumors about founding a new party
Linnemann rejects the SPD's demand for a care cover
Care insurance companies are warning the SPD not to block the announced care reform
Before cabinet decision: SPD threatens to block nursing care reform
Ulrike Putz
Dispute over accusations of anti-Semitism: Leftist Elif Eralp reports Dobrindt
According to her lawyer, the Berlin left-wing politician Elif Eralp and her regional association have filed a criminal complaint against Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. According to the written statement, the CSU politician is said to have made a statement about Eralp as an “anti-Semite”. This constitutes the offense of defamation and insult, explained lawyer Jasper Prigge to the German Press Agency.
This is about a passage from the ZDF program “Maybrit Illner” from Thursday, in which there was a war of words between Dobrindt and the left-wing parliamentary group leader Heidi Reichinnek. Moderator Illner made a promise, but immediately corrected herself: “Elif Eralp says she is anti-Semitic... She is not anti-Semitic.” Then Dobrindt said: “Oh yes.”
Lawyer Prigge argues that Dobrindt made Illner's slip of the tongue his own. This is “slander” within the meaning of the criminal code. Dobrindt makes a false statement of fact. It is an “insult” within the meaning of the Criminal Code because being called an anti-Semite is “significantly defamatory”.
The written statement continues: "The act is ultimately also likely to make Ms. Eralp's public work considerably more difficult. The dissemination of the false claim by the Interior Minister on television that Ms. Eralp would say that she is anti-Semitic is likely to impair her integrity as a political office holder and thus the formation of a government in the state of Berlin."
Eralp became the strongest force with the Left in the House of Representatives election in Berlin on September 20th with 25.7 percent of the vote and is aiming for the office of governing mayor in a red-green-red coalition. Accusations of anti-Semitism have been made against her party, including because a pro-Palestinian rapper called for violence against the Israeli army at a party event.
Dobrindt said last week in Banz Monastery that the Left Party in Berlin “clearly tolerates anti-Semites and extremists in their environment.” Before and after the election, Eralp distanced itself from any anti-Semitism and calls for violence and affirmed Israel's right to exist.
Ulrike Putz
CDU general secretary demands more speed of reform from the SPD
CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann wants to see more urgency from the SPD in the federal government's reform projects. “There are still too many resolutions of the coalition committee outstanding,” Hoppermann told the Rheinische Post. When it comes to pension reform, a draft law must now be introduced quickly because the federal budget can hardly cope with the enormous amount of pension subsidies.
"People long for stability and orientation. This requires a stable federal government," said Hoppermann, referring to the results of the three most recent state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin. She added:
“I also expect seriousness from the SPD.”
We are at a turning point where seriousness and closeness to people are gaining new relevance.
At the same time, Hoppermann defended the reform course that had been taken. “The reforms that are now underway are absolutely necessary so that we can help those who need support in the future,” she said. You first have to make it clear to people: "We are not making these reforms because we want something bad. But because the social security systems are not sustainable."
Hoppermann believes that the chancellor crisis surrounding Prime Minister Friedrich Merz (CDU) is over. "The personnel discussion is over. That's a good thing," she said. “Now it must be a matter of bringing this country together and consistently taking the necessary modernization steps.” The party's expectation of Merz is that he stays on track with the reforms and ensures that the agreements reached are implemented.
Habeck denies rumors about founding a new party
Former Green Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has denied rumors that he wants to found a new party. “There’s nothing to it,” said the 57-year-old late in the evening on the ARD program “Caren Miosga”.
Miosga spoke to Habeck on the show about a rumor that the two journalists Robin Alexander and Dagmar Rosenfeld had reported in their political podcast “Machtwechsel”. Accordingly, there is speculation in political Berlin that Habeck and the former Transport Minister Volker Wissing (formerly FDP, now independent) could found a new party, possibly with someone who leaves the CDU.
Habeck said he had heard this rumor “about 100 times” in the run-up to the show. A lot of people sent him messages and asked if there was any truth to the speculation. "No, and I can explain at length why I think this idea is nonsense. But if you want to keep it short: No, there's nothing to it," he confirmed. To Miosga's final question as to whether he would remain loyal to his party, Habeck answered clearly: "Yes."
Miosga had previously asked the former economics minister and vice-chancellor of the traffic light coalition whether he wanted to return to politics. “I can’t imagine that at the moment,” he replied. “There are no plans, there are no strategies, and there is no desire to return to politics.”
Left leader: We stand on the side of Jewish people
The co-chair of the Left, Luigi Pantisano, “absolutely” rejected the accusation that his party was anti-Semitic in the ARD “Report from Berlin”. “We clearly stand on the side of Jewish people and are also committed to protecting Jewish life in Germany, in Berlin and everywhere else.” At the same time, the left is one of the few who dares to publicly criticize what is happening in Israel.
“We as the left have to make it clear that criticism of the right-wing extremist Israeli government, which is indeed committing genocide in Gaza, must not be mixed with anti-Semitic tones, and that there are limits to all the legitimate criticism that takes place,” said Pantisano. “Tens of thousands of children were killed in Palestine, and we must not forget that Neukölln is home to the largest or one of the largest communities of Palestinians.”
In the past, Israel has repeatedly denied committing genocide. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition also includes parties that are considered right-wing extremist.
Linnemann rejects the SPD's demand for a care cover
In the dispute over the planned care reform, Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) rejected the SPD's demand for a "care cap". “We would not solve the problem,” said Linnemann, referring to the planned savings in the ARD “Report from Berlin”. Linnemann calculated that the savings with the limit on pure care costs proposed by the SPD would only be around 300 euros, with a total personal contribution of up to an average of 4,000 euros per person affected and in a home.
Linnemann confirmed his plan, according to which structural reforms should only be discussed in a commission in October after the law that has now been announced. First aid should now be provided so that those in need of care continue to receive their benefits and the contributions remain stable.
According to statements from several leading representatives, the SPD does not want to support pure austerity plans. In contrast, she is relying on the proposal to limit personal contributions (care cap) and for privately insured people to participate. The cabinet appointment planned by Linnemann this Wednesday seemed questionable at the weekend.
Care insurance companies are warning the SPD not to block the announced care reform
The nursing care funds warn of a care blockade: “Not acting would be fatal,” said the head of the central association of health insurance funds, Oliver Blatt, to the German Press Agency. “The care reform must now come to the German Bundestag.” The Federal Government Commissioner for Nursing, Katrin Staffler (CSU), made a similar statement. SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch had called for changes to the reform plans of Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) and threatened to block them.
The head of the statutory health insurance association, Blatt, said: “If this threatens to block people in order to avoid benefit cuts, then I see that the key to a fairer solution lies in the SPD-led finance ministry.” Blatt renewed the health insurance companies' demand to finance so-called non-insurance benefits such as pension contributions for caring relatives from tax revenue. This alone is worth five billion euros.
Blatt reiterated: “There is a red alert in nursing.” It has long been known that care will accumulate a deficit of 4.4 billion euros by the end of the year. “In just a few months the money will simply run out.” His appeal is “currently aimed particularly at the SPD,” said Blatt.
The nursing representative Staffler criticized: “Constantly new proposals from the SPD are delaying the urgently needed nursing care reform.” This endangers the financial stability of long-term care insurance and thus the security of care for millions of people in need of care. The reform must go to the cabinet as soon as possible. Work on structural reform ran parallel. For private health insurance, PKV association director Florian Reuther accused the SPD of “ideological demands” with which they were blocking the urgently needed reform.
Support for the SPD, however, comes from Verdi. “The SPD is taking up the massive criticism of the planned care reform, which we very much welcome,” said Verdi board member Sylvia Bühler to the dpa news agency. Reforms are needed that do not further burden people.
Germany's top consumer advocate, Ramona Pop, also called for further consultation by the coalition on reform. The federal government's previous plans did not strengthen nursing care, but rather weakened it. “Cutting services, passing costs on to those in need of care and relatives and delaying key promises from the coalition agreement, such as limiting personal contributions for nursing home residents, are the wrong approach,” emphasized the board member of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv) to the “Rheinische Post”.
Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) had announced that he would bring his reform plans to the cabinet next week. But SPD parliamentary group leader Miersch told “Bild”: “The SPD parliamentary group will not go along with a pure cuts package.” The necessary structural reforms were missing. That could and must change. Miersch emphasized that the reform must see care as a task for the whole of society. “That’s why privately insured people must also make their fair contribution.” He expects “concrete suggestions” for this.
The current head of the Chancellery, Nina Warken (CDU), from whom Linnemann took over the health department, had presented plans that were primarily about savings. In addition to savings in surcharges that are intended to provide relief for personal contributions, restrictions on free co-insurance for spouses and stricter classifications of care levels were included. A few days ago, during his latest announcements on care in the Bundestag, Linnemann said that billions would have to be saved next year. The SPD also does not deny the need for reform.
Before cabinet decision: SPD threatens to block nursing care reform
Shortly before a planned cabinet appointment for Health Minister Carsten Linnemann's care reform plans, the SPD spoke out against cuts. There is a lot going on when it comes to care, explained General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf. "There is a risk of massive cuts, especially for carers, those in need of care, but also their relatives. But we won't allow that." He emphasized: “We do not accept any reduction in services in care.” Klüssendorf called for more relief for nursing home residents and a further restructuring of financing.
In his statement shared in an Instagram video, the Social Democrat left it open what this means with regard to Linnemann's plans. The CDU minister wants to bring a bill to the black-red cabinet next week that is intended to stabilize the finances of statutory nursing care insurance next year. The nursing care funds are under great pressure, and a billion-dollar deficit is expected for 2027. According to information from coalition circles, discussions are still ongoing regarding Linnemann's plans, as the dpa news agency reported. However, according to information from the ARD capital studio, the SPD is threatening to let the project fail for the time being. SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch told Bild am Sonntag that the current proposal from the Ministry of Health is primarily a package of cuts: “The necessary structural reforms are missing so far.” The SPD parliamentary group is not going along with a pure cuts package.
The nursing care reform currently being discussed is about covering the billion-dollar nursing care insurance deficit expected for 2027 and avoiding general premium increases. Details are still unclear. Linnemann said in the Bundestag on Wednesday that he wanted to bring the project to the cabinet next week. "We spend around 74 billion euros a year on nursing care insurance, and we have to save eight billion euros for next year. That shows what a challenge this is."
Marlene White
Anger over Jens Spahn in the Union faction
The absence of ex-Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn on two days of the last week of meetings in the plenary session and in the budget committee apparently caused irritation among Union MPs. According to reports from Stern, Spiegel and ARD, there was a discussion in the parliamentary group's budget working group on Friday after several of the 14 members called for Spahn's expulsion
