Germany: The left wants to be a big – the world

When they look at the numbers, the levy has been rubbing eyes for months: 8.8 percent of the votes won the parliamentary elections in February. Almost twice as much as 2021. And in the most recent public opinion poll this month, surveys, with ten percent of support, everything is more closer to green (having eleven percent). Brief Review: At the end of 2024. The party was significantly below the five percent border in the surveys, which must be crossed to the Bundestag.

The left now in the new bundestag convenient has 64 members, and it is fifty-one new MP. The party is still getting used to his sudden success. The chief of the Prophet’s club is Christian Gerke, one of the few older people. After the first impressions, this sixty impressions were delighted with its newly established team: « In this new parliamentary group, we have great people, and now we want to turn it into parliamentary activities, » he said for DW.

Jan Van Aken and Ines Sweltner feel optimism

The spirit of optimism will be visible at Congress 9. and 10. May in the Chemnock. Jan Van Aken, which of October 2024. Presides the party together with Ines Sweltner, looking forward to Congress: « We want to adopt a strategic plan on how the left will act in practice over the next three or four years. »

This is also discussed in the main proposal of the party conference: « One of the most urgent issues of our time is the housing issue. We will respond to it by the national limit of rent, which would immediately soften the pressure on millions of tenants. » The left handed this question in the center of his federal election campaign and seemed especially successful in young people. In the age group of 18 to 24, the party became number one with 25 percent.

The head of the left is looking for an apartment in Berlin

The head of the left van Aken is personally affected by the lack of housing. He comes from Hamburg and is looking for accommodation in Berlin. « It’s horror, » he says about his previous unsuccessful attempts for our apartment. From 2022. year rent apartments in Berlin increased by about 50 percent – with just over ten euros per square meter on 15 euros.

In the Bundestag, the left wants to further strengthen the pressure on other parliamentary groups on this issue. The Secretary of the Party Christian Gerke talks about « Proliferation » and for DW announces an initiative to combat this « uncontrolled development ». In addition, as he says, they want the introduction of property taxes to the agenda.

« The Left is and remains a peace party »

There will be words and international issues at Congress in the Chemnica. « The left is and remains a peacekeeping party, especially in times of increasing militarization, » said the party document submitted for adoption. « As a party, we unconditionally support international law and protect those who suffer from wars in this world. » However, in the future they want to be more effective in making their own proposals of diplomatic solutions. This is especially true of the Russian attack on Ukraine.

So far, the left in this regard was unsuccessful – at least at the political level. Asked by DW, the Head of the party Van Aken emphasized the importance of making the difference between the government and the population: « I think our criticism reaches people. The surveys show that two of the respondents want negotiations and ceasefire. » Van Aken regrets that it is not possible to reach those who make political decisions, because they prefer to discuss further weapons deliveries than negotiations with Russia.

« We need to include China »

The head of the left party repeats his call for what he considers serious diplomatic initiatives: « We must include China and those countries with whom and we and the Russian regime have good relations, namely Brazil and South Africa. »

It is more and more clear, he says, that a military victory cannot be achieved in this war. « Weapons deliveries worth billions of dollars did not bring us a step closer to peace, » said Former United Nations Inspector (UN) for biological weapons. At the same time, outside Aken calls for sharper sanctions against Russia, especially in the energy sector. As long as President Vladimir Putin can export liquid gas and oil, the war budget will be constantly filled, he says, and says, « This must stop! »

Membership has doubled: 112,000

At the party conference in Kemnica, it is difficult to expect controversial hearings. Permanent disputes are completed after the ex-departure of the former left parties Sara Vagenknecht. Party Alliance Sara Vagenknecht founded by 2024. and called in itself, failed to enter the Bundestag. Meanwhile, the left is from the end of 2024. almost doubled its membership at 112 000

A new self-confidence is also reflected in the political scene. Although the Left Minimum Parliamentary Formation in the Bundestag, has gained influence. The best example was the choice of a new Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merca 6. May. In the first round, Demohriscians failed to win the required majority. In order to allow for second voting on the same day, two-thirds of MPs had to vote for that proposal. That is why the CDU / CSU Preparation Club also had to talk to Levica.

Is it approaching the cdu left?

Strictly speaking, thus the resolution of the incompatibility that CDU brought in 2018 was violated. Years. According to her, there should be no cooperation with either the Levica or alternative to Germany (AFD), which the Federal Condition Service recently marked as « proven extreme right », and then tactically withdrawn that decision awaiting the court’s decision by lawsuit AFD.

Ines Sweltner called the Union to closer cooperation with its party in the future, speaking for the editorial network Germany (RedactionsNetzwerk Deutschland, RND). It expects the Union to contact not only « when the house is burning, but also in other political decisions when a two-thirds majority ».

Signals from the headquarters

The right hand of Friedriha Merca, the head of his office Torsten Fry, is open for that: « We will have to talk about it, » he said about RTL and NTV. The decision made at CDU Congress cannot be undone with a stroke of the feather. « But we are certainly in a situation where we need to assess one or two questions again, » he says. Such signals of the left, of course, is happy to receive a notice of Congress in the Chemnica.