Heading towards the jurisdiction:
The dynamic duo steering through the whirlwind. That's Susanne Schaper and Stefan Hartmann, the co-chairs of The Left in Saxony, according to their own words. Taking over the reins in November 2019 following a setback in the state election, they've navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and another state election where they barely made it into the state parliament.
Nearly a year on, the former leadership duo is stepping down, but not amidst the chaos. The usually divisive state association is now acting as one, making the change of leadership likely to be a smooth transition. With four candidates vying for the double leadership—Anja Eichhorn and Marco Böhme, and Marika Tandler-Walenta and Silvio Lang—this competition isn't a sign of internal strife, as seen in the past. Schaper proudly declares that they've meditated these disputes, praising the "Saxon Way" that she and Hartmann implemented, which emphasizes commonalities within the party rather than focusing on differences. Hartmann adds that the ombudsperson installed to handle disputes hasn't been needed in the last two years.
The positivity is also buoyed by the Left's impressive turnaround in the federal election, managing to defend a direct mandate in Leipzig and experiencing a surge in new members. When the delegates gather for a party congress this weekend, the Saxon state association will boast over 11,000 members, more than doubled from when Schaper took office and making it the largest party in the state.
"We were the chairs of the crises."
Co-state leader of The Left
Though the Left now only has six members in the state parliament, it's arguably more influential than ever before. Negotiations are underway on the 40 billion euro double budget for 2025/26, and whether this will be approved as planned in the last week of June depends heavily on the Left. With the CDU-SPD minority government in dire need of opposition support, the Left wants to enforce its own political demands in exchange for approval. The Left is a key player in these negotiations, with Hartmann confirming that a framework has been agreed upon with the Greens for the upcoming meeting of the budget committee in the state parliament.
Ensuring that the parliamentary faction has the necessary leeway for further negotiations and the final vote is the last major task for Schaper and Hartmann.
Enrichment Data:There is limited publicly available information specifically referencing the influence of the Saxon Left in the state government budget negotiations for Saxony for 2025/26. Recent news highlights the role of the AfD in setting conditions for the approval of the upcoming double budget, but does not mention the Saxon Left or individuals such as Schaper and Hartmann[2]. This could indicate that the Saxon Left currently has minimal direct influence on this particular round of budget negotiations.
Regarding the roles of Schaper and Hartmann, these names do not appear in the available sources in connection with the 2025/26 state budget negotiations for Saxony. No significant statements or actions attributed to them are documented in the current reports on the parliamentary discussions or budget proceedings[2].
In summary, while the AfD has made conditions attached to its approval of Saxony’s 2025/26 budget, there is no evidence of notable influence from the Saxon Left or from individuals named Schaper and Hartmann in these negotiations as of the latest available information[2].
- The Left, with Schaper and Hartmann as key players, has a significant influence in the policy-and-legislation scene, particularly in the ongoing negotiations for the 40 billion euro double budget for 2025/26, as they hold the power to approve or deny the plan based on their political demands.
- The ongoing politics involving the state budget in Saxony has sparked interest in general-news circles, with the role of the AfD being scrutinized, but the influential role of Schaper and Hartmann, along with the Saxon Left, remains underrepresented in these discussions.
