Overview
- CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn told the Tagesspiegel the Berlin Linke is a "mixture of old SED and new Hamas" and alleged an unclear stance toward Islamist terrorism.
- Linke co-leader Jan van Aken rejected the claims as fabricated and framed them as a sign the CDU fears losing to the Left in Berlin next year.
- The Berlin Landesparteitag this weekend is slated to nominate MP Elif Eralp as lead candidate for the 2026 Abgeordnetenhaus election.
- Delegates are expected to debate motions calling Israel’s Gaza war a "genocide" and signaling support for BDS, while the state leadership under Kerstin Wolter and Maximilian Schirmer proposes a compromise emphasizing solidarity with all victims of violence, antisemitism and racism.
- Internal strains include a recent Linksjugend ['solid] resolution denouncing Israel’s state project and a warning letter from 17 Linke Bundestag members, set against the party’s strong Berlin showing in February and the September 20, 2026 state vote.