Berlin parties begin talks that could lead to coalition negotiations

Politicians from Berlin’s Left Party, the Greens and the Social Democrats are scheduled to meet to discuss whether conditions exist for possible coalition negotiations in the German capital. The talks are expected to address accusations of antisemitism directed at the Left Party, which won recent elections, as well as allegations that it has cultivated links to organised crime. The Greens and the Left Party have described agreement on these issues as a basic requirement before formal exploratory negotiations can begin.

The allegations were linked in part to the attendance of an Arab clan leader with alleged criminal connections and a controversial pro-Palestinian activist at an election-night event organised by the Left Party in Neukölln on September 20. If the Left Party eventually leads a coalition, its lead candidate and parliamentary group co-leader, Elif Eralp, could become Berlin’s first female governing mayor, according to the report. Meanwhile, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance has removed its founder’s name from its official title and is now called the Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason.

It will continue to use the abbreviation BSW. Secretary general Oliver Ruhnert said the founder’s name had originally been used because of Sahra Wagenknecht’s popularity, but that the party had since established itself as a separate brand. Wagenknecht founded the party in 2024 and stepped down as its leader in November 2025.

Separately, federal police arrested a suspected Islamic State member in central Germany. Prosecutors allege that the man joined the group in Iraq by early 2016 and fought for it until early 2017. He was placed in pre-trial detention after appearing before the Federal Court of Justice.