Vanessa Emde has repeatedly asserted that there is no existence right for states, only for people. She made this position clear in public statements and has said she stands by those remarks, refusing to retract them.
The Berlin Left Party’s Fraktionschef Tobias Schulze responded by saying the party had constituted a parliamentary group with a member who does not cooperate with the party. He declared that a common working basis is not given with Emde and announced that the leadership has distanced itself from her.
CDU politician Stefan Evers criticized Emde’s comments about the existence of states. He mocked the reactions of the SPD and Greens, suggesting that a joint statement from those parties would be needed to preserve trust and handle difficult positions within a progressive coalition.
In that post she characterized the preceding debate as a "Schmierentheater" and signaled she would not back down from her stance.
Emde remained publicly silent about the controversy until Thursday evening, 2026-10-16, when she posted on Instagram. In that post she characterized the preceding debate as a "Schmierentheater" and signaled she would not back down from her stance.
The controversy has created tension with the SPD and Greens, who are seen as potential coalition partners for the Left. Because Emde has been critical of Israel’s existence, her stance threatens to complicate any future coalition negotiations and raises the prospect of her exclusion from such talks.
As of the date of the events, 2026-10-16, the Berlin Left Party leadership has distanced itself from Vanessa Emde, while Emde herself maintains she will not withdraw her statements. The CDU’s Stefan Evers has called for a unifying statement from the SPD and Greens, and the party’s future in coalition discussions remains uncertain.