Left-wing party conference in Chemnitz: Moving Forward Discussion - Navigating Forward, Comrade: Your Guide for Progressive Action
The Left Party has gained momentum following their surprising success in the federal election and a significant surge in membership. A gathering in Chemnitz begins today to discuss how the Left can sustain this momentum and shape a lasting impact on the political landscape.
Party chairwoman Ines Schwerdtner made it clear beforehand that ruling at the federal level is not the immediate goal. Instead, the focus is on "changing something." As she explained to the editorial network Germany, "We wouldn't sell our convictions for a government post." The goal is to develop the Left as a self-made, left-wing party with a strong presence in society capable of bringing about change.
The Left's comeback
Shortly before the federal election, the Left's poll numbers stood at an insignificant 3%. By election day in February, they reached 8.8%. Simultaneously, they doubled their membership within a few months and currently boast around 112,000 members. In the next four years, they aim to reach 150,000.
Factors contributing to the Left's success after a prolonged slump include a new, dedicated party leadership team of Schwerdtner and Jan van Aken, united in purpose with faction leaders Heidi Reichinnek and Sören Pellmann. Together, they campaigned door-to-door, focusing on the central theme of housing. Additionally, the fear of a rightward shift, as demonstrated by CDU leader Friedrich Merz's flirtation with the far-right party AfD, drove many voters and new members to the Left.
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The Left's path forward
The Left aims to maintain this momentum and make inroads in upcoming municipal and state elections. "We are the light," the title of the guiding motion for the party conference in Chemnitz proclaims. "We, as the Left, will play an important role in the coming years," it continues in the draft. "Focus, focus, focus on issues like housing, prices, and taxes for the rich is a catchphrase, campaign efficiency another. The aspiration is a party that is essential and practically useful for the community as well as an advocate for concrete change.
A new program by 2027 is also on the table. "The Left sees itself as a modern socialist party representing the working class," the draft notes. "All those compelled to sell their labor to make a living—the overwhelming majority in our society"—should find representation through the Left. Consequently, the Left should become an "organizing class party."
The West German Basic Law does not specify a particular economic order, the draft asserts. "Freedom and democracy for us means more togetherness and solidarity. To enable a new mode of living together, however, a fundamental change is required that curtails, shatters, and ultimately eradicates the power of the billionaires."
Gaining influence in the Federal Government
Other political parties may find this a daunting prospect, but coalition governance opportunities at the federal level could be limited—even if the Left desired it. However, they hope to shape the political landscape: when a two-thirds majority is necessary in the Bundestag, they will play a vital role. This was clear this week when, after CDU leader Merz failed in his initial bid for Chancellor, the Union sought cooperation with the Left to advance a second round of voting.
Now, the Left Party demands an end to the so-called incompatibility resolution, which the Union employs to block parliamentary collaboration with the Left. Schwerdtner stated to RND that "the government will have to approach us. A two-thirds majority is required for the planned reform of the debt brake, and that won't happen without us."
Key Points:
- Chemnitz
- The Left
- Bundestag
- Saxony
- Federal Election
- Germany
- Ines Schwerdtner
- Friedrich Merz
- CDU
- Leader
- Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland
- Sahra Wagenknecht
- Jan van Aken
The Left's long-term strategy is to capitalize on its electoral revival and new members to reinvigorate the party from within and engage in grassroots activism. The upcoming Chemnitz gathering is likely a significant moment to lay out the new direction and chart a course for concrete activist campaigns to mobilize and empower the new membership, positioning the Left as a leftist opposition force advocating against right-wing trends in federal politics.
The Left party has been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation in the context of their focus on concrete change, owing to the successful surge in membership and reaching 8.8% in the federal election. They aim to reach 150,000 members in the next four years. The upcoming Chemnitz gathering provides an opportunity for the party to lay out the new direction, as they strive to be a self-made, left-wing party that is essential and practically useful for the community. The Left Party will also take a stand against a potential rightward shift, with a goal of becoming an "organizing class party" and shaping the political landscape.
