The Left, the Greens and the SPD in Berlin have taken a step forward in forming a government. According to information from party circles from the German Press Agency, they agreed on a package of actions that should take effect in the event of anti-Semitic incidents. In doing so, they removed a key obstacle to the start of explorations, which should now begin quickly. Those involved want to present details in a press statement later today.
In the election for the Berlin House of Representatives on September 20th, the Left was by far the strongest force with 25.7 percent. They are followed by the CDU (18.8 percent), AfD (16.3 percent), the Greens (14.3 percent) and the SPD (12.1 percent). The previously ruling coalition of CDU and SPD has lost its majority in the state parliament. The Left is now relying on a red-green-red coalition. If this happens, she and her co-parliamentary group leader Elif Eralp could appoint a governing mayor in Berlin for the first time.
The Greens and SPD put pressure on them
The Greens and the SPD have made an agreement on the recently hotly debated topic of anti-Semitism, as well as on dealing with racism and organized crime, a prerequisite for exploratory talks. The background is several incidents on the left that also caused concern among potential coalition partners.
Most recently, top politicians from the three parties met three times for so-called preliminary discussions lasting several hours. Details about the content were not made public for a long time. A fourth meeting began in the morning - like the previous ones, it will take place in the House of Statistics near Alexanderplatz.
Content leaks
Before the exploration began, the Greens and the SPD insisted on binding agreements and mechanisms, especially on the subject of anti-Semitism. Last but not least, it should be clarified how the Left will deal with future possible anti-Semitic incidents within its ranks and what consequences this would have within a possible coalition.
A kind of common set of rules for the complex is now planned. According to information from “Bild” and “Morgenpost”, which is also available to the dpa, the parliamentary groups want to appoint experts to evaluate statements critical of Israel. “Bild” and “Tagesspiegel” in turn report unanimously that a person on the Left may not be accepted into the parliamentary group in this context.
Soundings soon
Based on the agreement, exploratory talks to form a government could now begin quickly. The Left, the Greens and the SPD named their exploratory teams some time ago. The “Morgenpost” reports that further topics will be discussed in a wider circle at the new meeting of the three parties later in the day.
Explorations into forming a government are not yet coalition negotiations. Those involved determine which points are particularly important to them and whether coalition negotiations would even be promising. Such conversations can also fail.
Debate about anti-Semitism on the left
Parts of the Berlin Left are repeatedly criticized for their positions on Israel and Palestine or for statements that could possibly be seen as anti-Semitic. An election party by the Neukölln Left on September 20th caused a stir. The head of an Arab-born and partly criminal clan appeared there, as did a controversial pro-Palestinian activist.
He is said to be close to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU. In a photo shared on social media, the man was seen next to Left-wing Bundestag member Ferat Koçak.
Koçak, who directly won his constituency in Neukölln in 2025, is also under pressure because of his contacts in the so-called clan milieu. He had exchanged chat messages with a son of the aforementioned clan head. Koçak has since given up his seat on the Bundestag's Interior Committee.
Lots of concerns
When the events became known immediately after the election in Berlin, it sparked a heated debate across the country about a possible coalition led by the Left. Federal politicians from the Union, but also from the SPD and the Greens, expressed concerns. Many representatives of the Jewish community also expressed concern and warning.
According to a new representative survey, a coalition of the Left, the Greens and the SPD in Berlin is met with more rejection (42 percent) than approval (37 percent) by Germans. According to the “Spiegel-Ipsos-Political Monitor”, 31 percent of those surveyed “strongly disagreed” with the statement “SPD and Greens should form a government with the Left in Berlin,” while another 11 percent agreed “not at all.” However, 18 percent of those surveyed “completely” agreed with such a government formation, and 19 percent “somewhat” agreed.
