Susanna Riva The Left Party won the Berlin municipal elections on September 20, 2026, but the victory was immediately overshadowed by an unexpected episode: a draft of the interview she gave to Der Spiegel was returned with private notes that sparked a heated debate about the candidate's suitability for mayor.
The accidental return of the interview transcript
During the standard review process, Elif Eralp 's office returned an annotated version of her interview to the newspaper. Instead of removing the internal comments, they remained in the document and were published. The notes contained references to advice received from the Berlin State Criminal Investigations Office ( LKA ) on how to handle the subpoenaing of individuals associated with criminal organizations.
The error allowed readers to access comments that the candidate had intended for strictly internal use, highlighting an unexpected vulnerability.
LKA advice on nominating individuals
One of the annotated lines reads: “The LKA had advised against naming specific individuals, then for organized crime, now for people with ties to Hamas .”
This passage, with its cautious tone, highlights Eralp's concern about possible retaliation: "I can't put myself and my family in danger for Spiegel," he wrote in the draft, wondering whether it would be appropriate to delete the entire interview. The language, though formal, conveys a sense of fear and caution in handling a sensitive topic.
Observations on Hamas and the parties' reactions
During the interview, journalists asked Eralp whether his comments referred to Ibrahim Ibrahim , a well-known pro-Palestinian activist who attended the Left Party election party in the Neukölln district. Eralp confirmed with a "yes," but then attempted to have that segment deleted. Ibrahim, through his lawyers, stated that he was not affiliated with the party and rejected any accusations of anti-Semitism or support for terrorism. The mention of Hamas rekindled criticism from opposing parties, particularly from CDU candidate Stefan Evers , who called Eralp's position a contradiction to his party's rhetoric of reducing police forces.
The political repercussions and the statements of the competitors
The words "I don't want to put myself and my family in danger" were echoed in speeches by other leaders. Michael Müller , former mayor of Berlin and representative of the Social Democrats (SPD), warned that the candidate could become an easy target for blackmail. SPD spokesman Karl Lauterbach and Green Party leader Katharina Dröge also suggested reconsidering a possible alliance, pointing out that trust in Eralp's ability to manage city security had been eroded. Despite the pressure, the candidate reiterated her intention to continue her run and stated, "As mayor, I will guarantee the safety of all Berliners ," without elaborating further on the internal memos.