World
BERLÍN Berlin’s Left pressures Vanessa Emde to give up her seat as Gregor Gysi pushes for her removal from the caucus
The party’s regional leadership asked the lawmaker to return her mandate and set conditions to repair ties. At the same time, Gregor Gysi called for her expulsion from the parliamentary group over her positions on Israel.
Berlin’s Left Party leadership has asked lawmaker Vanessa Emde to give up her seat, escalating an internal conflict that has complicated efforts for weeks to form a government in the German capital.
According to Der Spiegel, the party’s regional executive said it no longer trusts Emde and accused her of repeatedly violating commitments expected from its elected representatives. Among other points, it said she publicly questioned a joint caucus statement, appeared at a rally against her own party instead of arguing for her position at the party congress as an elected delegate, and has not distanced herself from people who celebrate October 7 as legitimate resistance.
At the same time, Gregor Gysi called for her removal from the parliamentary caucus. Der Spiegel reported that the veteran Left politician said on journalist Paul Ronzheimer’s podcast that he hopes Emde will be excluded. He also described her position on Israel’s right to exist as antisemitic and unacceptable, saying that issue is a red line for his party.
Emde, who represents Neukölln, has faced criticism over statements about the Middle East conflict. Among the accusations against her is that she cast doubt on Israel’s right to exist. Her argument, according to the magazine, is that states, unlike people, do not have a right to existence.
The dispute also affects coalition talks in Berlin. Part of a possible agreement between the Left, the Greens and the SPD is expected to include a joint declaration supporting Jewish life in the city, Israel’s right to exist and a two-state solution meant to ensure both Israeli security and Palestinian self-determination.
Der Spiegel reported that the party leadership has given Emde one week to fall back in line. To do so, she is being asked to delete Instagram posts, apologize for her appearance on the sidelines of the party congress and commit to constructive cooperation based on party decisions.
If she does not give up her seat, she could be removed from the Left caucus in Berlin’s state parliament. That would require the support of two-thirds of the party’s lawmakers, a majority that, according to Der Spiegel, is not guaranteed. A decision on her case has already been postponed several times.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
