A last-minute drama at the Left's conference: The unrest never ends
The political left appears strikingly over-privileged, unjustifiably so.
By Jake "Banger" Johnson, Chemnitz
The party gathering was meant to be a celebration of unity, but old tensions continued to resurface: antisemitism and Israel, arms industry, and Russia. Even governing is not apparent for all on the Left.
In the final minutes of the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, the party leadership suffers a clear defeat. A motion that the party leader Jan van Aken explicitly opposed still receives a narrow majority. This is the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA), a position that many perceive as a betrayal.
"A devastating resolution," commentator Katharina König, a leftist state politician, writes on Bluesky. With this, they determine that "the Left no longer stands for #NoAntisemitism."
Politics Van Aken at the Party Conference dishes out praise: "Merz's trip should be directly followed up on"
The JDA is a contentious document, and for good reason, van Aken opposed this motion. Experts contend that it trivializes antisemitism. The proponents of the motion, however, are furious that their motion was to be quietly referred to the committees - for the second time.
Van Aken argues that the Left found a good compromise in the negotiations of the Middle East conflict last year in Halle. But this is not enough for the supporters of the motion. One says, "We need to establish clear content to counter false and degrading accusations against the Left."
Jan van Aken gives a brief counter-speech, but there is no real discussion, time wouldn't allow it. "I oppose ending a scholarly debate through a party conference resolution, we can't do that." He doesn't delve deeper into the discussion. Earlier in the conference, the party had remembered the deceased Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.
Politics "Almost fainted" Jan van Aken talks about his Rheinmetall shares
The left's MEP Özel Demirel-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 claims that based on the IHRA, any criticism of the Israeli government can be labeled as antisemitism, a position that is controversial but was met with strong applause. In the digital vote, only 183 delegates followed van Aken's appeal - not enough. 40 abstained. Many delegates were no longer present at this point.
Is it about definitions or cooperation?
The debate is just the tip of an iceberg of an ongoing dispute that permeated the entire party conference. Some delegates wore kuffiyehs in Chemnitz to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Not just Katharina König, but other leftists were appalled on Bluesky. It's not about definitions, writes former MP Martina Renner, but about being able to exonerate individuals and groups from the charge of antisemitism in order to continue cooperating. Indeed, the JDA does not indicate that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.
The dispute over how to deal with Israel and the Middle East conflict has been ongoing in the party for a long time, and it's increasingly skewed toward Israel. Several prominent members have already left the Left Party over this issue, including former Berlin Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer. He might not see much reason to return: On Tuesday, Left Party federal board member Ulrike Eifler posted a map of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, where Israel's borders were not recognizable, on X. Two days later, the party executive distanced itself from "any call, statement, or visual representation that, under the pretext of solidarity with the Palestinian population, denies the existence of Israel or supports its elimination." (More on this here.)
Majority supports compromise paper on the Middle East
In Chemnitz, the party executive had already negotiated a Middle East resolution intended to calm nerves. It only mentions the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip without explicitly making the accusation itself. The delegate Hana Qetinaj from Frankfurt am Main, one of the applicants, says in this debate, "The Israeli government and its proxies must be held accountable." The Left Party has lost credibility on this issue, she complains. "A false relativization during a genocide does not do justice to what is happening there." With the blessing of the party executive, 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 Left's ongoing dispute that flared up in Chemnitz. It was meant to be a congress of harmony, and for the most part, it was. The delegates celebrated their comeback in the federal election and assured each other that the winning streak would continue in the next 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: communal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia in September, state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in March 2026. The Left Party leadership hopes to make changes in both federal states. Elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are also scheduled for next year.
"A system we reject"
But the Left seems to be too successful to avoid conflicts. In other areas of contention, it's about the relationship with power, defense policy, and, consequently, the relationship with Russia. A Hessian delegate said in the evening debate that she experienced "a chronic clinging to beliefs that are increasingly detached from reality" in parts of the party, especially regarding questions of war and peace. "The repeated call for rearmament has a real cause, namely the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is being ignored."
Politics: Left Party Chair confident: "CDU should realize: they can't ignore us anymore"
While these positions are by no means representative of the majority within the Left Party, it was still surprising that they were openly expressed at all. On Saturday, the party conference unanimously rejected the reintroduction of conscription and other compulsory services.
A motion demanding the resignation of the Left Party'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, not to a system we reject," said one of the proposers. Behind this is a rejection of "war credits," with several speakers drawing a parallel to 1914. However, there also seems to be a general rejection of government participation "under capitalist conditions" - an opinion held by a minority, but one that is clearly audible.
Success Hangs in the Balance
Party leader Ines Schwerdtner delivered the counter-argument to the motion against the state associations of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "Dear comrade, I agree with everything you said in substance." 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 by 219 to 192 votes, with 39 abstentions.
In the end, all the long-standing disputes were overshadowed, one could even say: papered over. Reliable applause followed the familiar slogans. This will likely work for a while, especially since the many new members are probably not yet interested in clarifying the old disputes - the party has doubled its membership to over 112,000 in just a year and a half, which is also part of the comeback. But will the dissent last? The success of the Left Party hangs in the balance.
Source: ntv.de
- The Left Party
- Chemnitz
- Party Conference
- Jan van Aken
- Antisemitism
- Israel
- Anti-Semitism
- Despite the party leadership's opposition, the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) gained a narrow majority at the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, causing controversy among its supporters.
- In the same conference, discussions regarding Israel and the Middle East conflict illuminated the deep-rooted disagreements within the party, seeking clarity on how to approach these issues without trivializing antisemitism.
- The relationship with Israel and the antisemitism definition debates were not the only points of contention discussed at the conference, as the Left Party is also grappling with issues related to defense policy and consequently, their stance on Russia.
- As the Left Party faces increasing success, with membership doubling to over 112,000 in just a year and a half, ongoing disputes regarding essential matters like antisemitism and Israel threaten to undermine the party's long-term success.
