German court orders minister to delete antisemitism video

Court ruling

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered Economy Minister Katherina Reiche to remove an Instagram video from her ministry's official account in which she accused the Left Party of embracing antisemitism. The judges ruled 6-2 that the video must remain offline until a final decision on the complaint, for no longer than six months, and said sharing such claims from an official government account may violate the party's right to equal participation in political competition.

"This is particularly relevant given the ongoing discussions regarding the formation of a government in the city-state of Berlin," the court said, referring to exploratory talks after the Left Party's election victory in the German capital on Sept. 20. "The continued circulation of the statements in question is capable of severely discrediting the applicant in the public eye," it added, noting that this could make it more difficult for potential coalition partners to enter into an agreement with the party.

Minister's defense

Reiche, a conservative politician from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right CDU, posted the clip on Sept. 24 following a speech at a business event, warning against a possible Berlin government involving the Left Party. In the video, she attacked the party as one "that openly embraces antisemitism, that makes Jews in this city afraid," while also criticizing its plans to expropriate large private housing companies.

The Left Party took the case to the Karlsruhe-based court after the ministry refused its demand to delete the video by Sept. 29. The court stressed that Reiche remains free to express her views as a politician or private citizen, though it noted that using official authority to campaign against a political opponent raises constitutional concerns.

Election context

The Left Party's lead candidate in Berlin, Elif Eralp, has repeatedly dismissed claims of antisemitism against her and the party, saying leaders had distanced themselves from isolated incidents at campaign events. She added that the party opposes all forms of racism and noted her personal involvement in projects combating antisemitism.

Eralp's Left Party won Berlin's city-state election on Sept. 20 with 25.7% of the vote, more than doubling its share from three years ago. The party is currently holding talks with the center-left SPD and the environmentalist Greens on forming a potential coalition government.