Berlin's SPD wants to explore with leftists and greens

According to information from the rbb, the board of the Berlin SPD has agreed to exploratory talks with the Left Party and the Greens. All three parties have now agreed to exploratory talks. The Berlin SPD will hold exploratory talks with the Left and Greens. According to rbb information, this was decided by the state executive board of the SPD on Saturday.

The exploratory team should include up to five people, as reported by the German Press Agency. Among them are the two state leaders Bettina König and Steffen Krach as well as Derya Caglar for the group. Depending on the topic of discussion, up to two other members of the executive board of the state or other experts of the party would be added. Previously, the left had decided by a large majority at a special party conference on Friday evening to start explorations with the Greens and the SPD.

The Greens had already agreed to the talks during the week. However, the Bundesspitze of the Greens set conditions for the negotiations on Saturday: The Green Party chairman Franziska Brantner told the magazine "Der Spiegel" that the Left Party should not lead the interior or justice department in a red-green-red government. Brandtner cited the contacts of individual left-wing politicians to people with links to organised crime or Hamas supporters as the reason. She was referring primarily to Ferat Kocak, a Left Party member of the Bundestag, who had contact with members of the Remmo clan and the terrorist supporter Ibrahim Ibrahim.

Brandtner also rejected the Left's call for the protection of the Constitution and parts of the police to be replaced by social work if possible. On the SPD side, former Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he expected compromises from the left during the coalition negotiations. Left as election winner The Left had become by far the strongest force in the election to the Berlin House of Representatives last Sunday with 25.7 percent. With its lead candidate Elif Eralp, the party wants to provide the Governing Mayor for the first time.

In Berlin, the Left Party is being criticised, among other things, because of controversial positions of parts of the party on the Middle East conflict. The party leadership rejected accusations of anti-Semitism. Broadcast: Fritz from rbb, 26.09.2026, 8:30 pm

Audio: Fritz vom rbb, 26.09.2026, Bent-Erik Scholz