Berlin Left Party seeks resignation of MP Vanessa Emde

The Berlin branch of the Left Party (Die Linke) is calling for the resignation of Member of Parliament Vanessa Emde following her refusal to recognize the right of existence of the state of Israel. The party’s executive committee is meeting to request that Emde surrender her seat, alleging she violated the mandate agreement at least ten times by failing to adhere to the party platform.

Emde, who was elected in September in the Neukölln district, has maintained a pro-Palestinian stance, stating that “there is no right to existence for states, but only for people.” The controversy follows her appearance at a party event alongside Ibrahim Ibrahim, a representative of the United Palestinian National Committee, an organization characterized as extremist by the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

The internal dispute has complicated coalition negotiations in Berlin between the Left Party, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and the Greens. The leadership of the parliamentary group has declared that there is “no longer any common ground for cooperation” with Emde.