Gregor Gysi calls for expulsion of Vanessa Emde from Berlin Left Party faction, Digi Mart USA News (Berlin, Germany): Left Party politician Gregor Gysi has spoken out in favor of expelling the controversial Berlin lawmaker Vanessa Emde from the party’s parliamentary faction. “I hope that we will exclude her,” Gysi said in a podcast hosted by Bild journalist Paul Ronzheimer.
Emde, a lawmaker from the Neukölln district, has for weeks complicated efforts to form a government in Berlin with her public statements. She has been accused, among other things, of questioning Israel’s right to exist.
A joint declaration by the Left Party, the Greens and the SPD is expected to become part of a coalition agreement, and the parties had agreed on it before exploratory talks began.
The declaration contains commitments to protecting Jewish life in Berlin, to Israel’s right to exist, and to a two-state solution that would ensure both Israel’s security and Palestinian self-determination. Emde, however, argues that states, unlike people, have no right to exist.
Speaking on the Ronzheimer podcast about Emde’s statements, Gysi said: “This is antisemitic and above all unacceptable for my party.” He said recognition of Israel’s right to exist marks a boundary for him. “We need red lines that must not be crossed,” said Gysi, 78.
He chaired the Left Party’s parliamentary group in the Bundestag from 2005 to 2015 and served as its foreign policy spokesperson from 2020 to 2023.
At a recent party congress, the Left Party voted to approve coalition negotiations. On the sidelines of the event, Emde protested against the course set by her party leadership.
The leadership of the party’s parliamentary group had already stated that there was no longer a common basis for work with her. Emde faces expulsion from the faction, which would require the approval of two-thirds of Left Party lawmakers.
It is not considered certain that such a clear majority stands behind her removal. A decision in the case of the controversial lawmaker has been postponed several times.
