Last-minute Drama: Leftist Comrades Clash Over Comfort Zones
The left's stance appears to be undeniably clear and unwavering.
By Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
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The Left Party's congress in Chemnitz was shaping up to be a jovial affair until age-old disputes erupted, spilling over into heated conversations: antisemitism and Israel, armament, and Russia. Even unity in governance is not a given for all Leftists.
In the final moments of the Left Party's congress in Chemnitz, the party leadership experienced a stark defeat. A motion, against which party chief Jan van Aken explicitly stood, garnered a narrow majority nonetheless: 213 delegates voted for a resolution aligning the party with the so-called Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
What appears unremarkable is a significant stir, even sans the congress's chaotic atmosphere. "A fatal resolution," Thuringian state parliamentarian of the Left, Katharina König, remarks on Bluesky. With this, the majority has settled, "that the Left no longer stands for #againstEveryAntisemitism."
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The Jerusalem Declaration is contentious, and it's not surprising van Aken opposed the motion. Some view this declaration as a minimization of antisemitism. The applicants, however, are primarily irked that their motion was slated for committee discussion—for the second time.
Only 183 Delegates Stand with van Aken
Van Aken maintains that the Left found a satisfactory compromise at last year's congress in Halle. This painstakingly negotiated resolution touched upon the party's position in the Middle East conflict. That's not enough for the applicants. One of them says, "We need to create substantive clarity to refute false, defamatory accusations against the Left."
Jan van Aken offers a brief counter-argument, but there's no substantive discussion, time doesn't permit it. "I am against ending a scholarly debate through a party congress resolution, we cannot do that." He refrains from delving deeper into the discussion. In the morning, the congress remembered the late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.
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Left MEP Özdemir-Böhlke vehemently opposes van Aken, stating there is no such scholarly debate, only two conflicting definitions: the Jerusalem Declaration and that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Demirel-Böhlke argues that based on the IHRA, every criticism of the Israeli government can be labeled antisemitic. This stance is controversial, but she receives enthusiastic applause. In the digital vote, 183 delegates follow van Aken's appeal – not enough. 40 abstain. Dozens of delegates are absent at this juncture.
Is It About Definitions or Cooperation?
The debate signals the culmination of an undercurrent discussion that permeated the entire congress. Several delegates in Chemnitz don the kuffiyeh to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Not just Katharina König, but other leftists are alarmed on Bluesky. It's not about definitions, writes former MP Martina Renner, but about being able to absolve individuals and groups of antisemitism charges to continue cooperating. The Jerusalem Declaration does not suggest that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.
The disagreement over how to handle Israel and the Middle East conflict has long plagued the party and has become increasingly unfavorable towards Israel. The Left has already lost several prominent members over this, including former Berlin senator for culture Klaus Lederer. He might not find much reason to rejoin: 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 recognizable. Two days later, the party executive 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 Middle East
In Chemnitz, the party executive had already negotiated a Middle East resolution intended to calm nerves. It only quotes the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, but does not explicitly make this accusation itself. The resolution received a clear majority with the party executive's backing.
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"The Israeli government and its allies must be held accountable," delegate Hana Qetinaj from Frankfurt am Main, one of the proposers of the motion, asserts in this debate. The Left has lost credibility in this matter, she complains. "A false trivialization during a genocide does not do justice to what is happening there." The paper receives a clear majority with the party executive's blessing.
The same old points of contention
The relationship with Israel and the dispute over the antisemitism definition were just two aspects of the Left's ongoing dispute that reared its head 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 following 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: 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-Western Pomerania in the coming year.
"A system we reject"
But the Left seems to be doing too well to avoid conflicts. In other contentious areas, it's about the relationship with power, defense policy, and, connected with that, the relationship with Russia. A delegate from Hesse said in the evening debate that she sees "a persistent clinging to beliefs that are increasingly detached from reality" in parts of the party, especially on questions of war and peace. "The repeated calls for rearmament have a real cause, namely the Russian attack on Ukraine."
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A motion calling for the resignation of the Left Party ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received much applause. "We are responsible to our class and the people, and we have no responsibility towards a system we reject," said one of the proposers. Behind this is the rejection of "war credits"; several speakers drew a parallel to 1914. But the general rejection of government participation "under the conditions of capitalism" also seems to be part of these views—a sentiment that likely only a minority supports. But it exists, and it is clearly audible.
Success Has a Question Mark Above It
Ines Schwerdtner, the party chair, held the counter-speech against the motion regarding the state associations of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "Dear comrade, I agree with everything you said in 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 with 219 to 192 votes and 39 abstentions.
In the end, all the long-standing conflicts were overshadowed, one could also say: papered over. There was familiar 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 one and a half years, which is part of the comeback. But will the dissent last? There is a question mark over the success of the Left Party.
- The Left Party's congress in Chemnitz, originally intended to be a jovial affair, turned contentious, with age-old disputes over antisemitism, armament, and Russia causing heated conversations among delegates.
- A motion supporting the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, despite party chief Jan van Aken's opposition, received a narrow majority of votes at the Left Party's congress in Chemnitz. One delegate commented that they needed to create substantive clarity to refute false, defamatory accusations against the Left.
- The debate over the Jerusalem Declaration and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism has been a long-standing issue within the party, causing divisions and leading to the departure of several prominent members.
- During the congress, various delegates expressed concern about the Left's relationship with power, defense policy, and Russia, with one delegate from Hesse stating that there is a persistent clinging to beliefs that are increasingly detached from reality in parts of the party, especially on questions of war and peace.
