The far-left party Die Linke emerged as the largest party in Berlin following the election on 20 September, with 25.7 per cent of the vote. To form a state government, Die Linke needs the support of Die Grünen and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Elif Eralp (45) is standing as a candidate for Mayor of Berlin – the first person with a migrant background and the first from Die Linke. She is a lawyer and has a Turkish background; her parents fled following the military coup on 12 September 1980.
Accused of anti-Semitism
There are now strong indications that coalition talks have stalled after the potential coalition partners demanded that Die Linke clearly distance itself from anti-Semitism, organised clan crime and Islamism.
Die Linke and large sections of the left-wing parties are accused of having close ties to ‘problematic circles’. Among those who turned up at the election party in Neukölln were the clan figure Issa Remmo and the pro-Palestinian anti-Zionist Ibrahim Ibrahim. Ibrahim is linked to the Vereinigtes Palästinensisches Nationalkomitee (VPNK), which, according to Berlin’s Verfassungsschutz, has links to the terrorist organisations Hamas and the PFLP.
Eralp and Die Linke have, in general terms, distanced themselves from anti-Zionism and the clan milieu, but critics believe this distancing is not genuine.
There have been incidents involving ‘problematic statements’ and events within the party, particularly since 7 October 2023, which have led the Left Party to feel compelled to sign a joint declaration with the Greens and the SPD on the protection of Jewish life, Israel’s right to exist and the two-state solution.
Muslims have found their ‘political home’ with the Green Left
Eralp, the Greens’ candidate Werner Graf and SPD politicians have placed a strong emphasis on ‘anti-Muslim racism’ and increased financial support for Islamic communities, potential Islamic holidays and ‘dialogue’. Critics from the CDU and AfD believe the left is downplaying or obscuring the real problems with Islamic structures in Berlin, particularly in Neukölln, where Hamas and PFLP networks are said to have a foothold. Güner Balci, the integration officer, has warned that Muslims have found their ‘political home’ in Die Linke and parts of the SPD and the Greens.
The Greens have engaged in dialogue with Islamic communities and have prioritised the fight against ‘discrimination’ against Muslims at both national and local levels. At the same time, Grüne leader Franziska Brantner has demanded that Eralp ‘take action’ and guarantee that there is no place for anti-Semites, far-right figures or Islamists in a coalition government.
The ‘Spiegel’ leak in October 2026
At the end of October, internal memos from an interview Eralp gave to *Der Spiegel* were leaked by mistake. The journalists had asked about Ibrahim Ibrahim, and Eralp and her staff wanted *Der Spiegel* to delete both the question and the answer.
Elif Eralp would like to become Governing Mayor of Berlin. Yet in an internal memo, the Left Party politician reveals that she fears terrorist sympathisers with links to Hamas. Can someone like that be responsible for security in the capital… Link in X-Bio. pic.twitter.com/491G7GSCST
— DER SPIEGEL (@derspiegel) 29 October 2026
In her notes, Eralp wrote, amongst other things, that she and her husband have ‘Angst vor diesen Leuten’ (fear of these people), that she cannot put herself and her family at risk for Spiegel’s sake, and that she regretted agreeing to the interview in the first place. She referred to previous advice from the police not to mention specific names in cases involving organised crime – and in this instance, this concerned individuals with links to Hamas.
Critics believe this shows that she is “subject to blackmail” and unfit to lead the city, and that Die Linke’s potential coalition partners should reconsider their plans to form a government with a party that fears an “Islamist element within its ranks”.
🇩🇪 Germany’s Left may fail to form coalition over fears of Islamist radicals in own party
A major political scandal erupted in Berlin after staff working for Elif Eralp, the Left party’s candidate for mayor, accidentally sent journalists a document in which she admitted to fearing… pic.twitter.com/BSZCb0h9Fh
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) 29 October 2026
Bettina Jarasch, the Green Party’s parliamentary group leader in Berlin, said that it is unacceptable for a leading politician to have to fear for their safety, and that the fight against Islamist terrorist sympathisers must be waged resolutely:
– This will form part of the coalition talks.
Eralp herself says she will not be intimidated:
– It is normal to worry about one’s family.
The row continues
As of 30 October, no agreement has been reached on a coalition government in the state, but the row continues. Eralp intends to take legal action against *Der Spiegel* and lodge a complaint with the German edition of the Press Council. The fact that Eralp guarantees the safety of all Berliners, whilst fearing Islamic forces within her own ranks, is being portrayed on social media as ‘ridiculous’.
What a farce!
Eralp now intends to take legal action against *Der Spiegel* and lodge a complaint with the Press Council. The magazine had quoted from the politician’s internal notes regarding an interview. You can see straight away how thin-skinned and completely overwhelmed she is… https://t.co/nhnWLBVeSb pic.twitter.com/cHQKBFdROP
— Dara 🇩🇪 (@Raeubertochtah) 29 October 2026
