Two Former Left Politicians Defect to Berlin SPD

Sebastian Schlüsselburg and Oliver Nöll cite disagreements over antisemitism policy as they join the Social Democrats.

Sebastian Schlüsselburg, a justice and budget expert, and Oliver Nöll, deputy mayor of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, have joined the Berlin SPD after leaving Die Linke.
The two politicians left Die Linke in October 2024, criticizing the party's handling of antisemitism and its failure to take a clear stance against left-wing antisemitism.
Schlüsselburg will now serve as a member of the SPD parliamentary group in the Berlin House of Representatives.
Die Linke leadership has called for Schlüsselburg to relinquish his parliamentary mandate and has initiated steps to formally exclude him from their party group.
The Berlin SPD is expected to officially announce the defections during a press conference scheduled for Wednesday morning.