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Berlin Anti-Discrimination Commission in Crisis as Two Experts Quit and Greens Say It Has Failed

Opposition parties say persistent disputes over structural racism have erased any common basis for work.

Overview

  • Left-appointed specialists Saraya Gonis and Hajdi Barz resigned following months of clashes with CDU members.
  • Their departures followed the CDU decision to keep deputy Timur Husein formally on the panel while barring him from meetings after his post calling Sinti and Roma "Zigeuner".
  • The Greens declared the body "factually and politically" failed, citing repeated relativizing of discrimination and rejection of evidence on structural racism.
  • Accounts from participants describe CDU members questioning external experts' competence, with a December 5 session ending in walkouts including Green MP Susanna Kahlefeld.
  • The commission, created in 2024 to deliver recommendations by summer 2026, could end early, with reporting suggesting a condensed report that compiles hearings with party statements.