Germany Tagesschau
Berlin Left postpones decision on controversial MP Emde
The Left Party leadership in Berlin no longer wants to work with Vanessa Emde. How the conflict with the MP, who was controversial because of her criticism of Israel, will continue remains unclear for the time being
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Berlin Left postpones decision on MP Emde As of: October 20, 2026 • 3:27 p.m
The Left Party leadership in Berlin no longer wants to work with Vanessa Emde. How the conflict with the MP, who was controversial because of her criticism of Israel, will continue remains unclear for the time being - a decision has been postponed.
The leadership of the Left parliamentary group in the Berlin House of Representatives has not yet found a solution on how to further deal with MP Vanessa Emde, who is controversial because of her criticism of Israel. A spokesman for the German Press Agency said the parliamentary group's executive board discussed the matter in a digital meeting. However, Emde, who was invited, called in sick and did not take part in the meeting. The parliamentary group executive committee has now invited Emde back to the next meeting next Tuesday. “The group will continue discussions on the topic next week.”
Emde entered the House of Representatives for the first time in the election on September 20th. During the election campaign, she focused on the topic of Palestine solidarity and sparked several discussions because of her critical positions on Israel. During the election campaign, Emde represented, among other things, the thesis that there is no right to exist for states, but only for people. Last Thursday she explicitly repeated this in an Instagram video. "I stand by my statements and I don't take back any of them." The group leadership then declared that they no longer saw any basis for cooperation with her. She could face expulsion from the group.
Emde also criticized a statement on anti-Semitism that she, like all Left party members, had signed two days earlier. In it, the signatories acknowledge, among other things, Israel's right to exist.
The Greens and the SPD in Berlin want to negotiate a coalition after successful exploratory talks. The Left wants to decide on October 31st whether to start talks. The discussion about consistent action against anti-Semitism, fueled by several incidents in the ranks of the left, had made talks about forming a government difficult from the start.