Firebrand Congress: The Left's Comfortable Position Treads on Thin Ice
The political left appears to be overly influential.
Contributor: Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
Connect: Facebook || Twitter || Whatsapp || Email || Print || Copy Link
The Left Party's conference in Chemnitz was meant to be smooth sailing, but old feuds continued to simmer: antisemitism and Israel, armament, and Russia. Even ruling isn't a guarantee for all Left Party members.
In the final hours of the conference, the party brass suffered a resounding defeat. A motion that party leader Jan van Aken openly opposed still passed by a razor-thin margin: 213 delegates voted for a resolution that officially aligns the Left Party with the so-called Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
While this may appear innocuous, it's a significant setback, even if it didn't seem so in the conference's chaotic atmosphere. "A self-inflicted wound," remarked Thuringia state parliamentarian Katharina König of the Left Party on Bluesky, stating that the majority had decided "that the Left Party no longer stands #FirmAgainstEveryAntisemitism."
Politics Van Aken at the Party Congress: Left Party Leader Praises Merz's Trip: "Should Continue Immediately"
The Jerusalem Declaration is contentious, and it's no surprise that van Aken opposed the motion. Some see this declaration as trivializing antisemitism, which the proposers deny. They're primarily upset that their motion was quietly referred to committees - again.
Only 183 Delegates Stand with Van Aken
Van Aken argues that the Left Party found a good compromise at last year's conference in Halle. That resolution dealt with positioning in the Middle East conflict. The proposers find this insufficient. They say they need "to create content clarity to refute false, damaging accusations" against the Left Party.
Jan van Aken fires back briefly, but there's no substantial debate due to time constraints. "I'm against ending a scholarly debate through a party congress resolution, we can't do that," he says, avoiding delving deeper into the topic. Earlier in the day, the conference remembered the late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.
Politics "Almost Fell Off My Chair" Jan van Aken Talks About His Rheinmetall Shares
Left Party MEP Özdemir-Böhlke fiercely opposes van Aken, stating that there's no scholarly debate, only two competing definitions: the Jerusalem Declaration and that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). She claims that based on IHRA, any criticism of the Israeli government can be labeled as antisemitism, which is controversial but receives strong applause. In the digital vote, 183 delegates follow van Aken's appeal, but it's not enough. 40 abstain. Many delegates are absent by this point.
About Definitions or Cooperation?
The debate is the highlight of an underlying discussion that has permeated the entire conference. Several delegates wore keffiyehs in Chemnitz to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, as they put it.
Not just Katharina König, but other leftists are appalled on Bluesky. It's not about definitions, writes former MP Martina Renner, but about being able to clear people and groups from the charge of antisemitism to continue cooperating. Indeed, the Jerusalem Declaration contains no mention 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, increasingly biased against Israel. Several prominent members have already left the Left over this issue, including former Berlin culture senator 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 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 the 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, without explicitly making the accusation itself. The resolution received a clear majority with the blessing of the party executive.
The same old sticking points
The relationship with Israel and the dispute over the antisemitism definition were just two aspects of the Left's ongoing debate that ignited in Chemnitz. It was supposed to be a party conference of harmony, and for the most part, it was. Delegates celebrated their comeback in the federal election and assured each other that the success 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 the upcoming elections: communal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia in September, state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in March 2026. 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.
"A system we reject"
But the Left seems to be doing too well to avoid conflicts. Other points of contention include the relationship with power, defense policy, and, connected to that, the relationship with Russia. A Hessian delegate said in the evening debate on Friday that she experiences "a persistent 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 is overlooked, which has a real cause, namely the Russian attack on Ukraine."
Politics: Left Party Leader Confident, "CDU Should Realize: They Can't Ignore Us Anymore"
While such positions are far from being a majority among the Left, 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's ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received much applause. "We are responsible to our class and the people, not 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, there also seems to be a general rejection of government participation "under capitalist conditions" - a sentiment that likely represents a minority, but one that is clearly audible.
Success is Questioned
Ines Schwerdtner, the party leader, gave the counter-argument to the motion against the state associations of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "Dear comrade, I agree with you in principle on everything you said." 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 votes in favor, 192 against, and 39 abstentions.
In the end, all the long-standing conflicts were overshadowed – one could also say: glossed over – by success. There was reliable applause for the familiar slogans. This will likely continue to 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 one and a half years, which is also part of the comeback. But will the dissent persist in the long run? The success of the Left is under a question mark.
Source: ntv.de
- The Left
- Chemnitz
- Party Congress
- Jan van Aken
- Antisemitism
- Israel
- Anti-Semitism
- The motion that party leader Jan van Aken openly opposed at the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, aligning the party with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, was contentious and controversial.
- The debate over this motion is a part of an underlying discussion that has permeated the entire conference, focusing on the Left Party's position towards Israel and the Middle East conflict.
- In the digital vote, 183 delegates followed party leader Jan van Aken's appeal against the motion, but it was not enough to prevent its passing by a razor-thin margin.
- Many delegates wore keffiyehs in Chemnitz to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, but the debate is not just about definitions; it's about being able to clear people and groups from the charge of antisemitism to continue cooperating. Indeed, the Jerusalem Declaration contains no mention that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.
