Europeupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 18 January 2025Elif Eralp Sparks Berlin Controversy After Der Spiegel Leak Reveals Security Fears
“The controversy began with a mistake rooted in an outdated and questionable practice in German journalism”
“Der Spiegel believes that the public should know.”
Photo: Sandro Halank, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Leaked notes show Eralp privately fearing Hamas-linked activists at party events. The leak came from a Der Spiegel interview draft transmitted accidentally, triggering controversy.
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Berlin mayoral leak
Elif Eralp, the candidate on course to become the next mayor of Berlin, sparked controversy after an internal Der Spiegel interview process unintentionally aired personal security fears linked to pro-Palestinian activists in the city.
Der Spiegel cited Eralp’s Word document edits, including her line, "I can't put myself and my family in danger for Der Spiegel," and her question, "What do we do now? Cancel the whole interview?"
Der Spiegel said it published the notes because "the political importance of her notes outweighed them," and the magazine added that "the public should know."
Elif Eralp later hit back by slamming a "truly toxic debate" and promising a tough stance "against organized crime, against organizations that glorify violence, against violence, against terror."
Coalition pressure mounts
The controversy unfolded as Die Linke, which came out on top in Berlin local elections last month, prepared coalition talks with the SPD and the Greens next month. Karl Lauterbach urged the SPD to distance itself from an alliance with Die Linke, saying, "I would advise my party to distance itself from an alliance with the Left Party," and Sebastian Fiedler added that further talks should be "out of the question for any social democrat."
Josef Schuster warned the SPD and the Greens against handing responsibility for Berlin and "the security of the Jewish community" to Die Linke, and he claimed the story showed the Left Party was "incapable of distancing itself from terrorist sympathizers and antisemites." Elif Eralp’s defenders and critics both framed the episode around security and naming, with DW describing Der Spiegel’s question about whether someone who is too scared to name a terrorist sympathizer can be responsible for "the security of all Berliners."
Extremism, names, and risk
The dispute centered on Ibrahim Ibrahim, a pro-Palestinian activist linked in the reporting to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which the European Union classifies as a terrorist organization. DW reported that Ibrahim Ibrahim had described Yahya Sinwar, the former head of Hamas in Gaza, as a "martyr" and a "hero," and it said Eralp initially responded "yes" when asked whether she was referring to the Ibrahim incident.
DW also said Der Spiegel believed Berlin police had previously advised Eralp not to comment on specific individuals, and it described the notes as reasons not to publish, "Eralp's security concerns first and foremost." As coalition talks continued, DW reported that Eralp promised to fight "organized crime, against organizations that glorify violence, against violence, against terror," while the political fallout raised questions about whether she could lead Berlin’s security policy after the leak of her internal remarks.