Berlin, October 20th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – The Berlin chapters of the left-wing Greens and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) want to enter formal coalition negotiations with the far-left “Die Linke”, the winner of the recent state election. A small Greens party convention approved the step on Tuesday evening with a broad majority, with only two of 45 delegates voting no. Earlier in the day, the SPD state executive committee gave its consent in a digital meeting, with 26 members in favor, three against, and no abstentions.
They did so in spite of the latest antisemitism scandals inside “Die Linke”. The decision to talk to the party in the first place was criticized by prominent members of both the Greens and the SPD as well as by Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the conservative CDU and several of his party colleagues.
The Left will decide on October 31st because of the two-week autumn school break in Berlin. If its members agree, which they most likely will, negotiations could begin in early November. They would be based on an exploratory paper that the three parties presented last weekend.
Strongest Party
In the September 20 election, “Die Linke” became the strongest party with 25.7 percent. The CDU followed with 18.8 percent, the AfD with 16.3 percent, and the Greens with 14.3 percent. The SPD had its worst result ever with 12.1 percent. The CDU/SPD coalition has lost its majority. If a left-wing government materializes, “Left “Die Linke”‘s parliamentary group leader Elif Eralp could become the first Governing Mayor of Berlin from her party.
Greens parliamentary group leader Werner Graf said his party had secured “many Green successes” in the paper, including more bike lanes, better public transit, traffic-calmed neighborhoods, and no extension of the A100 freeway. “A new era will begin in transportation policy”, he said. SPD state chairs Bettina König and Steffen Krach said they had managed to bring “many SPD positions” into the talks and wanted to continue that approach.
Antisemitism was a dominant issue during the exploratory phase. Several incidents involving members of “Die Linke” had made the discussions difficult. The three parties had agreed on a joint declaration before the talks began, and it is to be included in a coalition agreement. In it, they commit to protecting Jewish life, to Israel’s right to exist, and to a two-state solution that secures both Israel’s safety and Palestinian self-determination. Violations could result in sanctions, up to expulsion from a parliamentary group. König and Krach called the declaration a “basic prerequisite” for further cooperation.
“Suicide Mission”
Greens state chair Nina Stahr said that “Die Linke” had “a problem with antisemitism in parts”, but described the declaration as a good basis for working together. One speaker from the party’s base called a coalition with an “unpredictable” Left a “suicide mission”.
The most controversial item nationwide is likely the planned socialization of about 160,000 apartments owned by five corporations. Compensation would be capped at 16 billion Euro, financed with loans, and repaid through rents. The measure would apply to private companies with more than 10,000 apartments in Berlin, and they could keep 10,000 each. Vonovia, which says it owns 130,000 apartments in the city, called the plan “unconstitutional” and said it would not survive judicial review. Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) warned of a “danger to the location” that reaches far beyond Berlin.
The plan would rely on Article 15 of the Basic Law, which allows land and means of production to be transferred to public ownership by law, with compensation. Legally, this differs from expropriation, although the two terms are often used interchangeably in public debate. The federal government decided in July that it wants to prevent such socialization, but so far there is only a decision by the coalition committee and no draft bill.
