The Left, Apparent Lack of Balance in Perspective
Article Revised:
The Left's Last Minute Drama: It's showtime for disagreements!
By Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
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The Left's recent party conference in Chemnitz was meant to be harmonious, but old conflicts reared their heads: antisemitism and Israel, armament, and Russia. Even party unity isn't guaranteed for all Leftists.
At the conference's climax, the party leadership suffered a clear defeat. A motion, against which party leader Jan van Aken had explicitly opposed, still found a majority vote: 213 delegates voted in favor of a resolution officially placing the Left behind the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
Though it may seem uneventful, it's a dramatic turn, even if it didn't appear so in the conference's bustling atmosphere. "A fatal resolution," commented Thuringia's Left state parliamentarian Katharina König on Bluesky, expressing concern that the majority had decided the Left no longer stands for #againstEveryAntisemitism.
Politics Van Aken at the Party Conference: Left Leader Praises Merz's Trip: "Should Continue Directly"
The Jerusalem Declaration is contentious and it's no wonder van Aken opposed the motion. Experts question whether this declaration trivializes antisemitism, an accusation the proposers deny. Their motion was repeatedly sent to committees without further discussion.
Only 183 Delegates Stand with Van Aken
Van Aken contends that the Left found a good compromise last year in Halle. This avoided stating a position on the Middle East conflict and was intended to provide clarity. The proposers find this insufficient. They need "content clarity to refute false, defamatory accusations" against the Left.
Jan van Aken delivers a brief counter-argument but due to time constraints, there's little discussion. He admits, "I'm against ending a scientific debate through a party conference resolution, we can't do that." He refrains from diving deeper into the topic. In the morning, the conference honored the late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.
Politics "Almost Fell Off My Chair" Jan van Aken Talks About His Rheinmetall Shares
Left MEP Özel Demirel-Böhlke vehemently opposes van Aken, stating there is no such scientific debate – only two competing definitions: the Jerusalem Declaration and the one by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Demirel-Böhlke argues that using IHRA can label any criticism of the Israeli government as antisemitism, a claim that is controversial but receives strong support. In the digital vote, 183 delegates follow van Aken's appeal – not enough. 40 abstain. Many delegates are no longer present at this point.
Defining terms or working together?
The debate is the focus of a long-standing discussion that permeated the conference. Several delegates in Chemnitz wear a kuffiyya to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Not only Katharina König, but other Leftists are alarmed on Bluesky. It's not about definitions, writes former MP Martina Renner, but about being able to exonerate persons and groups from the charge of antisemitism in order to continue cooperation. Indeed, the Jerusalem Declaration contains no indication that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.
The dispute over how to handle Israel and the Middle East conflict has been ongoing in the party for a long time and is increasingly antagonistic towards Israel. Several prominent members have already left, including former Berlin Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer.
Majority for compromise paper on the Middle East
In Chemnitz, the party leadership had already negotiated a compromise Middle East resolution to cool things down. It only quotes the charge that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, but does not explicitly raise it itself.
Politics Confusing Party Conference The Left argues about war and peace - then it's time to vote. "The Israeli government and its henchmen must be held accountable," says delegate Hana Qetinaj from Frankfurt am Main, one of the applicants, in this debate. The Left has lost credibility in this question, she complains. "A false relativization during a genocide does not do justice to what is happening there." With the blessing of the party leadership, the paper receives a clear majority.
The same old points of contention
The relationship with Israel and the dispute over the antisemitism definition were just two aspects of the long-standing conflict that flared up in Chemnitz. It was supposed to be a party conference of harmony, yet the delegates celebrated their successes and assured each other that their winning streak would continue in the next year's elections.
"Berlin's first left mayor, that's a goal," faction leader Heidi Reichinnek said in her speech on Friday. She listed all upcoming elections: in September, local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, in March 2026, state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. 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 next year.
"A system we reject"
But the Left seems to need conflicts to thrive. The other points of contention are about the relationship with power, defense policy, and, connected to that, the relationship with Russia. Wiesbaden city councilor Brigitte Forßbohm said in the evening debate on Friday, "I experience a chronic clinging to beliefs that are increasingly detached from reality in parts of the party." This especially applies to questions of war and peace. "The repeated call for armament is ignored, which has a real cause, namely the Russian attack on Ukraine."
Politics Left Party Leader Confidently "CDU Should Realize: They Can't Ignore Us Anymore" While such positions are far from a majority among the Left, it was surprising that they were openly expressed at all. The conference on Saturday unanimously rejected the reintroduction of conscription and other compulsory services.
A motion calling for the resignation of the Left's 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 to a system we reject," said one of the proposers. Behind this is the rejection of "war credits," with several speakers drawing a parallel to 1914. However, the general rejection of government participation "under capitalist conditions" also seems to be reflected in these views – a sentiment that likely represents only a minority. But it exists, and it's clearly audible.
Success Has a Question Mark
In the end, all the long-standing conflicts were overshadowed, one could also say: papered over. There was reliable applause for the familiar slogans. This will likely work for a while, especially since many new members are unlikely to be interested in clarifying the old disputes – the party has doubled its membership to over 112,000 in just one and a half years, which is also part of the comeback. But will the dissent last? The success of the Left has a question mark hanging over it.
Source: ntv.de
- The Left
- Chemnitz
- Party Conference
- Jan van Aken
- Antisemitism
- Israel
- Anti-Semitism
Enrichment Data:The Left party in Germany criticizes definitions like the IHRA, believing they are used to suppress criticism of Israel and limit political discourse, especially on Israel-Palestine issues. The party largely stands against policies perceived as repressive or limiting free speech. The Jerusalem Declaration was created as an alternative to the IHRA definition, aiming to preserve free speech while combating antisemitism. There are concerns that the Left might align more with the Jerusalem Declaration's approach due to their criticism of the IHRA definition. The current stance of the Left party regarding the Jerusalem Declaration is not explicitly detailed in the available search results.
- The Left party leadership's defeat at the conference in Chemnitz was over a motion that placed the party behind the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, a crucial point of contention in their politics.
- Jan van Aken, the party leader, opposed this motion, voicing concern that it might give the impression that the Left no longer stands againt every antisemitism.
- There is ongoing debate within the party regarding the IHRA definition of antisemitism and the Jerusalem Declaration, with experts questioning whether the latter trivializes antisemitism and van Aken claiming that the Left found a good compromise last year in Halle, avoiding a position on the Middle East conflict.
- A compromise Middle East resolution was negotiated by the party leadership in Chemnitz, aimed at cooling down disputes, but the relationship with Israel and the dispute over the antisemitism definition remain points of contention within the Left party, particularly for those who support the Jerusalem Declaration.
