The political left appears overtly assertive, according to the interpretation.
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Last-Minute Turmoil: The Left's Discomfort with Comfort
By Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
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The last-minute dramas at the Left's party conference in Chemnitz revealed lingering conflicts and diverse opinions on critical issues: antisemitism and Israel, arms trade, Russia, and even cooperation in governing.
Amidst the conference's general harmony, the party leadership suffered a surprising defeat in a controversial motion that passed by a slim majority. The motion, which party leader Jan van Aken vehemently opposed, aligned the Left with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA), a move criticized by some as trivialized definitions of antisemitism.
" A flawed resolution," commented Thuringian state parliamentarian Katharina König on Bluesky. This new stance suggests the Left no longer stands for #againstEveryAntisemitism.
While the conference briefly acknowledged the late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer in the morning, the debate surrounding the JDA remained a heated topic. Opponents argue this declaration dilutes the definition of antisemitism, while supporters defend it as promoting a nuanced stance against hate speech.
A Tight Squeeze: A Narrow Victory for the JDA
Van Aken believes the Left found a reasonable compromise at the Halle conference last year regarding the Middle East conflict. However, those who proposed the motion argued that clarifying their stance against false accusations of antisemitism was crucial.
Despite Jan van Aken's brief counter-argument and evidence suggesting scientific debate isn't being resolved through party conference resolutions, a significant minority of 183 delegates followed his appeal, with 40 abstaining.
The Definition Dilemma: A Dispute Over Terms or Collaboration?
The debate over this definition is part of a broader discussion that permeated the conference. Several delegates donned a kuffiyeh to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, sparking concern from some Leftists on Bluesky. According to former MP Martina Renner, the issue is not about definitions, but about exonerating people and groups from antisemitism charges to maintain cooperation.
The dispute over Israel and the Middle East conflict has been a longstanding issue in the party, leading to the departure of prominent members like former Berlin Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer.
The Middle East Compromise: A Peace Offering or Half-Measure?
In an attempt to ease tensions, the party's executive committee had negotiated a Middle East resolution to calm nerves. The resolution emphasized accusations of alleged genocide in Gaza without explicitly making those claims. The debate, however, revealed ongoing internal divisions on the issue.
"The Israeli government and its supporters must be held accountable," said Hana Qetinaj, a delegate from Frankfurt am Main, one of the proposal's proponents. She accused the party of losing credibility on this issue and called for unequivocal support against alleged genocide. Despite the party leadership's backing, the resolution passed with a clear majority.
The Same Old Controversies: Armaments, Russia, and the Path to Power
The relationships with Israel, the struggle over defining antisemitism, and the Middle East conflict were just some of the Left's ongoing controversies that surfaced in Chemnitz. Despite hopes for a harmonious conference, conflicts persisted throughout, from disputes over power and arms trade to disagreements on Russia.
Brigitte Forßbohm, a city councilor from Wiesbaden, criticized the party for adhering to outdated beliefs, particularly in matters of war and peace. She argued that calls for rearmament had a legitimate cause, given Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
While such positions may not be representative of the majority within the Left Party, they were openly expressed during the conference. A motion calling for the resignation of Left Party ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received strong approval.
Questions of Success and Unity
Party leader Ines Schwerdtner countered the motion against the state associations of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, emphasizing that the guiding motion had already decided against such a scenario. Schwerdtner urged the conference not to set a precedent. In the end, the motion passed with 219 votes in favor, 192 against, and 39 abstentions.
In the face of success, lingering conflicts remain papered over. However, the long-term viability of unity within the Left Party remains uncertain. Despite doubling its membership to over 112,000 in just one and a half years, the party must grapple with the implications of its recent decisions and maintain the delicate balance between open discourse and internal harmony.
- The employment policy was a recurrent topic during the Left's party conference in Chemnitz, with numerous discussions focusing on its various aspects.
- Chemnitz was not only a stage for debates about the community policy and general politics, but also a battleground for opinions on antisemitism and Israel, as evidenced by the controversial Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) motion.
- Despite the party leadership's opposition to the JDA alignment, a significant number of delegates, including 183 who voted in favor, agreed to the motion, sparking concern and debate over the Left's stance against Every Antisemitism.
- In addition to the JDA debate, the party conference also highlighted ongoing controversies regarding the Middle East, armaments, Russia, and questions of success and unity, with various delegates expressing opposing views on these issues.
