German Left's Eralp files complaint over antisemitism slur

German Left Party politician Elif Eralp and her party's Berlin branch have filed a criminal complaint against Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, accusing him of defamation after he allegedly called her an antisemite during a televised talk show, her lawyer said Monday. The move comes as Eralp stands poised to become Berlin's next mayor following her party's strong showing in last month's state elections.

Television clash

The incident occurred during Thursday's episode of the popular Maybrit Illner program, where a heated exchange took place between Dobrindt and Heidi Reichinnek, leader of the Left Party's parliamentary group in the Bundestag. Host Maybrit Illner initially misspoke, stating, "Elif Eralp says she is an anti-Semite," before immediately correcting herself: "She is not an anti-Semite" — yet Dobrindt replied, "Well, she is," according to the broadcast.

Legal grounds

Eralp's lawyer Jasper Prigge told the German Press Agency that the interior minister had endorsed Illner's slip of the tongue, effectively repeating the accusation on national television. In a written complaint, Prigge stated that the minister's words constitute "defamation" under the Criminal Code, noting that labeling someone an anti-Semite is "significantly damaging to one's reputation" and likely to impede Eralp's public work as a political officeholder.

Electoral context

Eralp's Die Linke emerged as the strongest force in Berlin's state elections on Sept. 20, securing 25.7% of the vote and positioning her to become the capital's next mayor. Before and after the election, Eralp distanced herself from any form of antisemitism and calls for violence, reaffirming Israel's right to exist while seeking to separate her candidacy from broader controversies surrounding the party's stance on Middle East issues.