Overview
- The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung report published Tuesday was confirmed by the Linke’s Berlin office, which said Eralp was a member of Rote Hilfe until 2025 and that the party described her role as passive.
- According to the party, Eralp joined Rote Hilfe while studying law, remained a passive member for years, and resigned in 2025 before she was nominated as the Linke’s Spitzenkandidatin.
- The Verfassungsschutz’s 2025 report describes Rote Hilfe as one of the largest groupings in German left-wing extremism and highlights that the organisation provides legal and financial aid to politically motivated offenders.
- Eralp’s Rote Hilfe membership appears in the Berlin Abgeordnetenhaus handbooks for 2022 and 2023 but was removed from the October 2025 edition, which the Linke says reflects her 2025 exit and past transparency on her parliamentary profile.
- The disclosure has spread across national outlets and raises political risk for talks with the Greens and SPD, though no criminal allegations against Eralp have been reported and the party faces other recent controversies that increase scrutiny.