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Pankow Greens Block Gelbhaar Comeback as AfD Sets Sights on Majority

The defeat reflects unresolved misconduct claims within the party despite court wins for the ex-MP.

Overview

  • Members of the Pankow Greens voted 179–83 to nominate Sunčica Klaas over Stefan Gelbhaar for Berlin’s 2026 Abgeordnetenhaus in District 6, a seat the party has long held.
  • The decision followed a scandal in which the gravest harassment claims against Gelbhaar were exposed as fabricated and courts curtailed some reporting, while several women still describe boundary-crossing behavior and one case is under appeal.
  • Outside the meeting, women handed out purple scarves as a show of solidarity against sexual harassment, underscoring internal tensions over conduct standards and rehabilitation.
  • Separately in Kiel, Green leaders apologized after a municipal committee motion advanced only with a decisive AfD vote, calling the episode a serious mistake.
  • At AfD state gatherings, Brandenburg leader René Springer vowed to pursue an absolute majority despite the party’s classification there as “confirmed right-wing extremist,” and Hessen delegates re-elected Andreas Lichert and Robert Lambrou to drive further local gains.