Kerstin Wolter-Ehling, state chair of the Left party speaks to the media, on the day of exploratory talks between the Left Party, the Social Democratic party (SPD) and the Greens on a possible coalition government for Berlin’s House of Representatives, in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 8, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Germany’s Left Party agreed to measures on Thursday to address antisemitic incidents, satisfying a key condition set by potential coalition partners and allowing it to begin exploratory talks on Berlin‘s next state government.

The agreement revives prospects for a three-party coalition between the Left, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), and Greens after the Left, a hard-left party represented in Berlin by lead candidate Elif Eralp, emerged from the Sept. 20 state election as the largest force, with 25.7% of the votes.

The three parties confirmed at a press conference that they would begin exploratory coalition talks immediately.

The breakthrough highlights how tensions over antisemitism and the Israel-Hamas conflict have become a major fault line in German politics, with the SPD and Greens insisting on binding safeguards before entering coalition talks with the Left.

Prominent political figures and Jewish leaders had previously called on the country’s center-left parties to reject any coalition that would bring the Left into power, warning that the dramatic political shift could put Jewish life across the country at greater risk.

Nonetheless, a successful coalition could help rehabilitate the Left as a potential governing partner elsewhere in Germany, offering a model for center-left cooperation at a time when traditional coalition options have become increasingly fragmented.

However, it could also deepen cracks within the struggling federal government, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warning his SPD coalition partners not to enter into government with a party that he argues puts the “non-negotiable principle” of Germany’s commitment to Israel up for debate.

SAFEGUARDS AGAINST ANTISEMITISM

The Left‘s success, displacing Merz’s conservative party in the mayor’s office, has been overcast by the party’s ties to pro-Hamas, anti-Israel activists and allegations of antisemitism among its members.

Eralp and other party leaders say they oppose all forms of antisemitism while defending the right to criticize the Israeli government.

“Safety means being able to go to school without fear, to wear a kippah, and to speak Hebrew without having to explain yourself,” said Kerstin Wolter, co-chair of the Left Party in Berlin, during a joint press conference. “We see the fear felt by Jewish Berliners.”

Leaders of Berlin’s Jewish community have expressed alarm over the prospect of the German capital being governed by the far-left party.

The issue has been particularly significant in Germany amid a rise in antisemitic incidents since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Under the proposed measures, the state legislature whips of all three parties would deliberate on any antisemitic incidents and expel the accused lawmaker if they reach a consensus; in case of disagreement, experts would be called in to review the case.

The parties have also agreed to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which has been widely adopted around the world but rejected by some Left Party members who argue that it can conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

COMPARISON WITH AFD REJECTED

The prospective coalition partners also rejected any comparison between the Left Party and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which polls indicate as the most popular party in Germany.

“The AfD fights against democracy. The AfD talks about deporting millions of people from this country,” said Steffen Krach, SPD lead candidate for Berlin. “At its core, the AfD is an anti-democratic party, whereas standing before you here are three democratic parties.”