The liberal political sect allegedly finds itself in a favorable position.

Last-Minute Drama: Leftists' Comfortably Clueless

Extreme Leftists Overplaying Their Hand, Unmistakably Assertive

By Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz

The Left Party's congress in Chemnitz was meant to be a harmonious affair, but old grudges kept bubbling to the surface: antisemitism and Israel, armaments, Russia, and even the art of governance itself. The leading party faced a clear defeat in the end.

At the conclusion of the Left Party's congress in Chemnitz, the party leadership suffered a resounding defeat. A motion, against which party leader Jan van Aken explicitly positioned himself, surprisingly garnered a narrow majority: 213 delegates voted for a resolution aligning the Left with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.

Although this may seem insignificant, it was quite a drama, though it didn't seem so in the bustling party congress. Katharina König, a Thuringian state parliamentarian of the Left, lamented on Bluesky that the decision meant the "Left no longer stands for #againstanyantisemitism."

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The Jerusalem Declaration is controversial, and for good reason, van Aken opposed the motion. Experts see the declaration as trivializing antisemitism. The applicants, however, are most upset that their motion was intended to be quietly referred to the committees—for the second time.

Van Aken argues that at the party congress in Halle last year, the Left found a good compromise. This painstakingly negotiated resolution dealt with the party's position in the Middle East conflict. But that's not enough for the applicants. One of them remarks, "We need to create content clarity to refute false, denunciatory accusations against the Left."

Jan van Aken makes a brief counter-argument, but there is no real discussion, no time for that. "I am against ending a scientific debate through a party congress resolution, we cannot do that," he states, brushing aside the issue in the morning when the party congress had remembered the late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.

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Left MEP Özlem Demirel-Böhlke fiercely opposes van Aken, arguing there is no such scientific debate, only two competing definitions: the Jerusalem Declaration and that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Demirel-Böhlke claims that based on IHRA, any criticism of the Israeli government can be smeared as antisemitism. This is controversial, but she receives strong applause. In the digital vote, 183 delegates follow van Aken's appeal—not enough. 40 abstain. Many delegates are absent at this point.

About Definitions or Cooperation?

The debate serves as a backdrop for an underlying discussion that permeated the entire party congress. Several delegates in Chemnitz wear a kuffiyeh to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people, as they put it.

Not just Katharina König, but other leftists are alarmed on Bluesky. It's not about definitions, Martina Renner, a former MP, writes, but about being able to exonerate persons and groups from the charge of antisemitism in order to continue cooperating. The Jerusalem Declaration, however, contains no indication that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.

The debate about how to deal with Israel and the Middle East conflict has been ongoing in the party for a long time, and it's increasingly tilted against Israel. Several prominent members have already been lost to the Left over this issue, including former Berlin culture senator Klaus Lederer. He might not see much reason to return: On Tuesday, Left party federal board member Ulrike Eifler posted a map of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank on X, where Israel's borders were not discernible. Two days later, the party leadership distanced itself from "any call, statement, or visual representation that, under the guise of solidarity with the Palestinian population, negates the existence of Israel or promotes the elimination of Israel." (More on this here.)

Majority for compromise paper on the Middle East

In Chemnitz, the party leadership had already negotiated a Middle East resolution intended to calm nerves. It merely quotes the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, without explicitly making the accusation itself.

Politics Left Party Conference: War and Peace Debate Heats Up - Then Vote "The Israeli government and its lackeys must be held accountable," says delegate Hana Qetinaj from Frankfurt am Main, one of the applicants, during this debate. The Left has lost credibility on this issue, she complains. "A false relativization during a genocide does not justify what's happening there." With the blessing of the party leadership, the paper receives a clear majority.

The Same Old Points of Contention

The relationship to Israel and the dispute over the antisemitism definition were just two aspects of the Left's ongoing dispute that flared up in Chemnitz. It was supposed to be a party conference of harmony, and for the most part, it was. The delegates celebrated their comeback in the federal election and assured each other that the success streak would continue in the next year's elections.

"The first left mayor for Berlin, that's a goal," faction leader Heidi Reichinnek said in her speech on Friday. She listed all the upcoming elections: communal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia in September, state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in March 2026. The Left has never been in parliament in both federal states, and the party leadership hopes that will change. Elections are also coming up in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the coming year.

"A system that we reject"

But the Left seems to be doing too well to avoid conflicts. In other points of contention, it's about the relationship to power, defense policy, and, connected to that, the relationship to Russia. A delegate from Hesse said in the evening debate that she sees "a chronic clinging to beliefs that are increasingly detached from reality" in parts of the party, especially regarding questions of war and peace.

Politics Left Party Leader Confident "CDU Should Realize: They Can't Ignore Us Anymore" While such positions are far from being the majority within the Left Party, it was still surprising that they were openly expressed at all. The party conference on Saturday unanimously rejected the reintroduction of conscription "and other compulsory services."

A motion demanding the resignation of the Left Party ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received much applause. "We are accountable to our class and the people, and we have no responsibility towards a system that we reject," said one of the proposers. This is a rejection of "war credits"; several speakers drew a parallel to 1914. However, the general rejection of government participation "under the conditions of capitalism" also seems to be reflected in these views—a sentiment probably supported by only a minority. But it exists, and it's clearly audible.

Success is Questioned

In response to the motion against the state associations of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, party leader Ines Schwerdtner delivered the counter-argument. "Dear colleague, I agree with everything you said in terms of content." She argued formally: The main motion had already decided that such a case should not happen again. Schwerdtner called on the party conference not to "set a precedent." This motion was rejected by 219 to 192 votes with 39 abstentions.

In the end, all the long-standing conflicts were overshadowed, one could say: glossed over. There was reliable applause for the familiar slogans. This will likely work for a while. Above all, the many new members are probably not currently interested in clarifying the old disputes—the party has more than doubled its membership to over 112,000 in just one and a half years, and that is also part of the comeback. But will the dissent last? A question mark hangs over the success of the Left Party.

The Left Party's congress in Chemnitz was centered around various contentious issues, including the party's stance on antisemitism and Israel, armaments, Russia, and the art of governance, with the leading party suffering a decisive defeat.
The Jerusalem Declaration, a controversial resolution that was opposed by Jan van Aken, received a narrow majority vote at the Left Party congress, igniting further debate about its implications and the relevance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism.
The resolution aligning the Left with the Jerusalem Declaration was met with concern by many leftists, who argue that it compromises the party's ability to exonerate persons and groups from antisemitism allegations, enabling continued cooperation.
The debate over the Middle East conflict and the definition of antisemitism is part of an ongoing dispute within the Left Party, which also involves disagreements on power, defense policy, and the relationship to Russia. Despite these conflicts, the Left Party remains focused on its political objectives, such as becoming the first left-wing mayor in Berlin.