Neukölln’s integration officer has warned that “Islamists and activists” have infiltrated parts of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). She claims they, with support from some left-wing groups, contributed to the downfall of district mayor Martin Hikel.
Güner Balci told Der Spiegel that Hikel has been under attack for ten years by a persistent left-wing faction. She described the influence as linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and alleged that some groups operate as supposedly independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) under government surveillance.
The mayor has faced criticism for his stance on criminal clans, with party members disputing his use of the term and accusing him of ignoring such issues as “anti-Muslim racism.”
Balci argued that semantic debates over wording distract from real concerns and benefit criminal clans, not the local community—adding “I’m interested in the facts, not the wording.”
