Overview
- Delegates at a special party congress overwhelmingly approved starting sondierungsgespräche and confirmed a four‑person negotiating team to represent the Linke.
- The Landesvorstand‑nominated team consists of lead candidate Elif Eralp, co‑chairs Kerstin Wolter and Maximilian Schirmer, and parliamentary leader Tobias Schulze.
- Party leaders publicly acknowledged internal problems after accusations of antisemitic rhetoric and a contentious guest speech about clan criminality prompted Landesgeschäftsführer Björn Thielebein to distance the party from those remarks.
- The Linke declared Enteignungen a negotiating red line and says talks will prioritise security and protection of Jewish life following prior informal meetings with the Greens.
- Both Greens and the SPD have signalled caution about forming a coalition and the SPD leader declined a pre‑meeting invitation, leaving trust, housing policy and coalition arithmetic as key obstacles to a deal.