A Berlin politician from the Left party, Elif Eralp, has filed a criminal complaint against Germany's Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, according to Handelsblatt. The complaint follows an exchange on the ARD talk show "Maybrit Illner," where Dobrindt accused her of antisemitism, the outlet reports.
Multiple German media, including tagesschau.de, WELT, BILD and Tagesspiegel, carried the story. WELT reports that Eralp's complaint cites "malicious defamation" (übler Nachrede). BILD and Tagesspiegel both highlight a specific phrase — "Na doch" — as central to the dispute, with Tagesspiegel describing it as a remark with consequences.
The reports agree on the core facts: a televised argument between the two politicians, an antisemitism accusation leveled by Dobrindt against Eralp, and her decision to respond through the criminal justice system rather than politically alone. The exact wording and full context of the on-air exchange are not detailed in the available summaries.
The case adds to a broader debate in Germany over how accusations of antisemitism are raised in public and political settings, and what recourse those accused may seek. Eralp, a member of the Berlin state parliament for Die Linke, has chosen a legal route that could test where political speech on a talk show ends and defamation begins.
What to watch next: whether prosecutors in Berlin accept the complaint and open a formal investigation into Dobrindt, and how the Interior Ministry responds.
