In an unexpected twist, political figurehead Jan van Aken is optimistic about The Left's performance in Thuringia's upcoming election. Speaking to RTL and ntv, van Aken confidently stated, "We're set to smash the 20% mark for sure." Currently sitting at 13-14%, the party has a lot to prove following their 31% triumph five years ago.
Despite the looming election this Sunday, van Aken wouldn't rule out collaboration with the BSW, but expressed reservations. He mused, "A BSW Chief Minister? I'm not sure they've got the manpower for that. We'll see come Sunday."
A key priority for van Ake is keeping the far-right AfD at bay from seizing power in Thuringia. He stressed, "It's vital we unite with all other democratic parties to prevent this. It's non-negotiable."
The slice of the pie that The Left managed in the recent European elections was a mere 2.7%. But undeterred, van Aken teamed up with publicist Ines Schwerdtner in a bid to reclaim The Left's federal leadership, displacing Janine Wissler and Martin Schirdewan.
Looking ahead to the elections in Saxony and Brandenburg, van Aken intends to make a splash, declaring, "We aim to be players in the game."
With Die Linke making significant strides in the federal elections, achieving a record-breaking result despite a period of crisis, van Aken and his team believe they can make waves in Thuringia too. Die Linke's success is largely due to their renewed focus on key issues like peace, social justice, ecological sustainability, education, gender equality, and addressing the gap between eastern and western Germany[2].
In Thuringia, Die Linke has notched up victories like winning primary school teachers equal pay to secondary school teachers, which is a nod to gender equality[2]. This focus on regional politics and addressing specific local issues is set to continue as Die Linke looks to make gains in upcoming elections.
