Explorations Berlin: Despite criticism from their own ranks: Red-Green-Red sees explorations on the right track

Dusseldorf. In the red-green-red explorations for the Berlin House of Representatives, despite criticism from outside, the debates are gaining momentum. On the first day of the exploration, the budget and the issue of security were discussed, among other things, as Steffen Krach (SPD), Maximilian Schirmer (Left) and Nina Stahr (Greens) announced at a press conference in Berlin on Friday afternoon.

“We have come to the conclusion that the budget is really bad,” said Maximilian Schirmer from the Berlin Left. But it was also found that there were ways out of the poor financial situation in the federal capital. The issue of security was also discussed. "We don't agree on everything when it comes to security. But we are sure that we can still come to an agreement," explained Krach.

The way for the exploratory talks was cleared by a statement from the Berlin Left on how it deals with anti-Semitism. It says: “We protect Jewish life, strengthen coexistence and advocate for peace and understanding.” Israel’s right to exist is described as “non-negotiable.”

Party members who glorify violence and terror would have to face consequences, including expulsion from the party. The aim is to take stricter action against violations. The trigger was, among other things, the participation of a clan member at an election party in Berlin during the elections to the House of Representatives in mid-September.

In response to the Berlin paper, 120 left-wing politicians signed a statement in which they criticized the way the party leadership in Berlin dealt with the issue of anti-Semitism. “The formulations contained therein adopt the narrative of a media smear campaign that has been waged against Die Linke for weeks,” says the statement, which was available to the “Tagesspiegel”.

Schirmer said on Friday that the letter was being discussed within the party. But for him there is no reason to worry: “Party democracy depends on open and honest discussions.”

However, the topics that caused controversy in advance have not yet been part of the explorations. When asked whether the socialization of the large real estate companies desired by the left was an issue, Krach said: "We're not that far along yet. We haven't talked about the topic of socialization or expropriation yet." But he also made it clear: “My position on this has not changed.” Krach had previously described such a project as a “red line”.

Krach had also called for left-wing politician Ferat Kocak to be expelled from the party. He is held responsible for the scandal with the clan member. However, the federal leadership of the Left backed the politician on Friday, saying there was “no need for further consequences”.

Krach explained that he did not expect that his request would be granted the day after his request. In addition, this is a federal political issue. What counts most in the explorations is the position of the Berlin leadership and he currently sees no conflict that would stand in the way of negotiations.