Germany's left-wing Die Linke party, which won Berlin's parliamentary elections on September 20, is struggling to form a coalition with the Social Democrats and Greens amid a series of controversies involving extreme anti-Israel statements, links between party activists and Hamas supporters and criminal clans, and a newly elected lawmaker who refuses to retract remarks questioning Israel's right to exist.Die Linke came first in the elections to the parliament of the German capital, which is also a federal state, winning 25.7% of the vote and 45 of the 153 seats, marking a political upheaval in Berlin.The shift is particularly striking given the position of the outgoing government. Berlin's governing mayor, Kai Wegner, of the Christian Democratic Union, stood firmly alongside Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.In February 2024, he visited Israel, met with the families of hostages, and declared: "Berlin stands firmly by Israel's side, on this day and every day."In May 2025, Wegner also signed a sister-city agreement with Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. At the time, Wegner recalled that Berlin was the city where the Holocaust was planned and emphasized its historical responsibility to protect Jews and combat antisemitism.The political upheaval comes against the backdrop of Germany's declared commitment to Israel's security.Chancellor Friedrich Merz also made clear on the third anniversary of the Hamas attack, in…
Germany's left-wing Die Linke struggles to form coalition as anti-Israel controversy swirls
Die Linke came first in the elections to the capital's parliament, which is also a federal state, winning 25.7% of the vote and 45 of the 153 seats, marking a political upheaval in Berlin.
In brief
Germany's left-wing Die Linke party, which won Berlin's parliamentary elections on September 20, is struggling to form a coalition with the Social Democrats and Greens amid a series of controversies involving extreme anti-Israel statements, links between party activists and Hamas supporters and criminal clans, and a newly elected lawmaker who refuses to retract remarks questioning Israel's right to exist.Die Linke came first in the elections to the parliament of the German capital, which is also a federal state, winning 25.7% of the vote and 45 of the 153 seats, marking a political upheaval in Berlin.The shift is particularly striking given the position of the outgoing government. Berlin'…
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