Steffen Krach, the chairman of the Berlin SPD, asserts that despite advice from his federal party chief, Lars Klingbeil, there is no disagreement concerning antisemitism or potential coalitions with the Berlin left-wing parties. This comes after Klingbeil had warned the day before about a potential government relying on left-wing parties harboring antisemitic views. “We are of the same opinion. We do not want to work with antisemites, and we will not collaborate with antisemites,” Krach told the television channel “Welt.” He confirmed that Klingbeil had stated this clearly, adding, “I say that too.”
Krach also stated that the leadership of the left-wing group shares this stance. Elif Eralp, a prominent figure in the left-wing party, also stated that she does not want to cooperate with antisemites. “That is why there is also a clear decision from the leadership of the left-wing faction that there is no basis for collaboration with Ms. Emde.”
Krach noted that he discusses the situation and many other political matters regularly with Klingbeil, confirming that they maintain frequent communication. He had already spoken with his federal SPD chief the day before. Krach expressed his own frustration regarding the prolonged nature of the conflict, stating he would prefer to focus on other issues facing the city. This statement references Vanessa Emde, a Palestinian activist, who, despite internal criticism, remains a member of the left-wing group.
The left-wing faction’s leadership has clearly declared that there is no foundation for working together, and Krach emphasized that he has also clearly stated that he cannot recommend his party enter a coalition if Emde remains a member of that faction. He expects the left-wing parties to take decisive action as quickly as possible.
Krach mentioned that there have been intense discussions within the Berlin SPD about implementing a negotiation break until Emde steps down. Nevertheless, he argued that the responsibility lies in making progress for the city, and he does not want everything to depend on one individual who is apparently acting disrespectfully toward the head of the left-wing faction. He pointed out that “there are many people within the left who, I state clearly, have no connection to antisemitism, and furthermore, no connection to organized crime.”
Regarding the opposition to the red-green-red coalition, Krach views the stance taken by Franziska Giffey, the serving economic senator and former mayor, as a normal disagreement within a large party. He considers her performance as an economic senator to be excellent and expects her to continue doing so over the coming weeks and months. Therefore, he assured the business community that there is no need for them to worry. He concluded by explaining that, “Yes, there is a disagreement, an internal party disagreement over the question: do we want this coalition, yes or no? And that discussion will continue in the coming months. But this is completely normal in a party with 18,000 members.”
