SPD warns Die Linke to bar antisemitism and clan crime as coalition talks begin

SPD national leaders Lars Klingbeil, Bärbel Bas and Tim Klüssendorf used an Instagram post to condemn antisemitic rhetoric and to demand that Die Linke allow no space for antisemitism or clan-related criminality within its organization, placing responsibility on the party. Die Linke has announced invitations to the SPD and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen for preliminary discussions ahead of forming a government in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin.

A recent incident at a Linke district gathering in Neukölln, where an activist linked to the PFLP attended, prompted the party leadership to distance itself from the event. BSW chairman Schulze said talks with the AfD are constructive and will continue, while rejecting a formal coalition; he noted a potential AfD-BSW majority in the Magdeburg parliament, which will elect a new presidium on 6 October. SPD figures such as Raed Saleh and Steffen Krach warned against cooperation with Die Linke, citing antisemitism and ties to organized crime. Additionally, Linke lawmaker Ferat Koçak stepped back from public duties after a disclosed chat with a member of the Remmo family, a clan under police scrutiny.