Coalition is a possibility for the Commission
The Left's Janine Wissler Stands Firm on Anti-War Stance
Janine Wissler, co-chair of Germany's Left party (Die Linke), has made it clear that she is cautious about her party joining a government coalition with the SPD and the Greens, particularly if it involves supporting policies she disagrees with, especially those related to foreign military deployments.
In a recent statement, Wissler emphasized the importance of The Left remaining critical and independent, rather than compromising on core leftist principles by joining a coalition. This stance suggests that she is wary of forming a government alongside the SPD and Greens that could enforce centrist or militarized policies.
On military issues, Wissler is well-known for her opposition to Bundeswehr foreign deployments and her call for the dissolution of NATO. This stance is in line with the pacifist and anti-militarist platform typical of The Left's ideology. Wissler advocates for redirecting resources from military spending and deployments to social and economic justice priorities domestically.
Wissler's demand is to dissolve NATO and replace it with a collective security system that includes Russia and focuses on disarmament. She believes that NATO is part of the problem, not the solution.
However, Wissler is open to participating in a government, as demonstrated by the party's twice-demonstrated ability to form a government through a tolerance agreement, such as the one in Hesse in 2008 that involved the Left party.
Wissler also acknowledges that there are SPD members of parliament who have voted against foreign deployments, suggesting a potential for agreement on this issue within a coalition.
Moreover, Wissler expressed that the Left party should fight for change, whether in government or opposition, depending on the content. If there's a majority of SPD, Greens, and Left, then all three parties have a responsibility to seriously discuss how to use it to enforce improvements.
The Green faction in the last extension of the Afghanistan mandate voted against it, indicating a shared stance with the Left party on military deployments. This alignment could potentially facilitate negotiations towards a coalition agreement.
In summary, Janine Wissler, the designated co-chair of the Left party, stands firm on her anti-war stance and opposition to NATO. She is cautious about joining a government coalition that supports SPD and Greens policies on foreign military deployments and NATO, but is open to negotiations if there's a potential for agreement on key issues.
The policy-and-legislation of a potential government coalition that includes the SPD and Greens, and their stance on foreign military deployments and NATO, is a matter of concern for Janine Wissler, as she advocates for replacing NATO with a collective security system that includes Russia and focuses on disarmament.
The general-news of the Green faction voting against the extension of the Afghanistan mandate, in alignment with the Left party's stance on military deployments, could potentially facilitate negotiations towards a coalition agreement that upholds Wissler's anti-war stance.
