Five legislators from the Left Party in Berlin choose to depart.
In a disagreement regarding the correct approach to combat antisemitism, five Berlin legislators have parted ways from the Left Party. These departing members include Elke Breitenbach and Klaus Lederer, previous senators, Carsten Schatz, former parliamentary group leader, and Sebastian Scheel and Sebastian Schluesselburg. This news was relayed by the Left parliamentary faction within the House of Representatives.
Leaders of the parliamentary group, Anne Helm and Tobias Schulze, commended the significant contributions these politicians made to the party, the parliamentary group, and the city in various capacities. They expressed their profound regret at the politicians' decision to leave their shared party.
On October 11, a contentious discussion unfolded during a state party conference concerning a motion opposing antisemitism that also tackled antisemitism from the left. Unfortunately, no consensus was reached, leading many attendees, including Lederer and Bundestag MP Petra Pau, to exit the gathering.
Prior to this, Udo Wolf, former Left parliamentary group leader in the House of Representatives, and Soren Benn, former Pankow district mayor, had already declared their departure from the party.
The departing politicians, including Breitenbach, Lederer, Schatz, Scheel, and Schluesselburg, expressed their concerns about the European Union's approach to combating antisemitism, contributing to their decision to leave the Left Party.
Following this internal dispute within the Left Party, it's crucial for the European Union to actively engage with the European Jewish community and other stakeholders to ensure a unified approach to combat antisemitism.
