Chaos at the Last Minute: Left Party's Comfortable Position Threatened
The political left appears to be undeniably overly assertive.
By Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
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The Left Party's convention in Chemnitz was intended to be harmonious, and it mostly was, but old disputes kept surfacing: antisemitism, Israel, armaments, and Russia. Even governance wasn't a given for all Left Party members.
The convention concluded with a clear defeat for the party leadership. A motion, opposed by party chief Jan van Aken, still passed with a narrow majority: 213 delegates voting for a resolution that officially aligns the Left Party with the so-called Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
Despite seeming insignificant, this move is actually scandalous, even if it didn't appear so in the convention's chaos. "A disastrous resolution," commented Thuringia's Left Party parliamentary representative Katharina König on Bluesky, stating that the majority had decided "to make the Left Party no longer stand for #againstEveryAntisemitism."
A Political Firestorm: The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism
Critics view The Jerusalem Declaration as controversial, and it's little wonder van Aken opposed the motion. Some experts argue this declaration trivializes antisemitism. Proponents contest this, but they're frustrated the motion was shuffled to committees - again.
Jan van Aken argues the Left Party found a good compromise at last year's Halle congress. The resolution addressed the party's stance on the Middle East conflict. However, proposers aren't satisfied. They claim they need "to establish factual clarity to rebut baseless, slanderous accusations" against the Left Party.
Van Aken provides a brief counter-argument but delves no deeper into the debate. Time constraints don't allow for it. "I oppose ending a scholarly debate through a party congress resolution; we can't do that," he says. Earlier in the morning, the convention remembered the late Holocaust survivor, Margot Friedländer.
The political firestorm over the Jerusalem Declaration is part of a larger, ongoing debate within the party, particularly regarding Israel and the Middle East conflict.
Debating Definitions and Collaboration
Not only did Katharina König, but other leftists are also troubled on Bluesky. It's not about definitions, remarks former MP Martina Renner, but about being able to exonerate individuals and groups from charges of antisemitism to continue collaborating. Indeed, the Jerusalem Declaration contains no mention that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.
The dispute over Israel and the Middle East conflict has been ongoing in the party for some time, increasingly skewed against Israel. Many prominent members have already left, including Berlin's former cultural senator, Klaus Lederer. He may not see much reason to return: On Tuesday, the Left's 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 leadership distanced itself from "any call, statement, or visual representation that, under the guise of solidarity with the Palestinian population, denies or promotes the elimination of Israel." (Read more here.)
Middle East Compromise Paper Gets Majority Support
In Chemnitz, the party leadership had already negotiated a Middle East resolution aimed at ease tensions. It only quotes the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, without explicitly making the accusation itself. However, the debate revealed that the party is still far from consensus on this issue. "The Israeli government and its facilitators must be held accountable," says delegate Hana Qetinaj from Frankfurt, one of the proposers of the motion. She laments that the Left has lost credibility on this issue. "A false relativization during a genocide does not do justice to what is happening there." Despite the party leadership's support, the paper receives a clear majority.
A Long History of Controversy
The relationship with Israel and the debate over the antisemitism definition are just two aspects of the long-standing conflict that resurfaced in Chemnitz. The Left seems to be gaining ground beyond expectations to avoid conflicts. Other points of contention include the relationship with power, defense policy, and, consequently, the relationship with Russia. Wiesbaden city councilor Brigitte Forßbohm says in a Friday evening debate that she sees "a chronic clinging to dogmas that increasingly diverge from reality" in certain parts of the party, particularly concerning war and peace issues. "The repeated calls for rearmament have a real cause, namely the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is being ignored."
Politics Left Party Leader Confident: "CDU Should Realize: They Can't Ignore Us Anymore" While such positions are far from being a 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 ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received much applause. "We have no responsibility towards a system we reject," said one of the proposers. The rejection of "war credits" also seems reflected in these views - a sentiment that likely only a minority supports. But it exists, and it is clearly audible.
Controversy Castle in the Air
All long-standing conflicts were overshadowed, one could even say, papered over. Applause was reliable for familiar slogans. This will likely work for a while, especially since many new members probably aren't yet interested in clarifying 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? There is a question mark hanging over the success of the Left Party.
Source: ntv.de
- The Left Party
- Chemnitz
- Party Conference
- Jan van Aken
- Antisemitism
- Israel
- Anti-Semitism
Enrichment Insights
The Left Party's stance on the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) involves critics viewing it as controversial, with some experts arguing the JDA trivializes antisemitism. The party's rejection of the JDA draws accusations that the party isn't doing enough to combat antisemitism effectively. Additionally, tensions within the party surrounding definitions of antisemitism, Israel, and Middle East conflict have been ongoing, with several prominent members leaving due to these issues. (Source: enrichment data)
- The Left Party's stance on the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) has stirred controversy, with critics viewing it as questionable and some experts arguing it trivializes antisemitism.
- Despite Jan van Aken's opposition, a resolution was passed at the Left Party's convention in Chemnitz, aligning the party with the JDA, which many see as a move away from stance against antisemitism.
- The debate over the JDA is part of a larger, ongoing debate within the Left Party, particularly regarding Israel and the Middle East conflict, with many members leaving due to these issues.
- The enrichment data suggests that the Left Party's rejection of the JDA may lead to questions about the party's commitment to combating antisemitism effectively.
