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Pankow Greens Block Gelbhaar Comeback, Choose Sunčica Klaas as 2026 Direct Candidate

The decisive vote follows months of court rulings that undercut some accusations but left other misconduct claims unresolved inside the party.

Overview

  • Pankow members backed Klaas over Gelbhaar by 179 to 83 for Berlin’s Wahlkreis 6, a constituency the Greens have held comfortably for nearly two decades.
  • Gelbhaar’s bid came after revelations that the harshest allegations were fabricated and had misled broadcaster RBB, with the politician winning parts of several defamation cases.
  • A Hamburg appellate decision struck portions of Süddeutsche Zeitung’s reporting but allows coverage that eight women described inappropriate encounters; a related case brought by Klara Schedlich is under appeal.
  • After the clear defeat, Gelbhaar declined to pursue a final ballot at the meeting; any future attempt to enter the Abgeordnetenhaus would likely require a place on the state list.
  • Separately, AfD Brandenburg’s leader René Springer told a party conference he aims for an absolute majority despite the state intelligence service’s extremist classification, and Green leaders in Kiel apologized after a committee motion passed with an AfD swing vote.