Appears excessively advantageous for the liberal faction.

The Left's Fractious Finale: Strife before the Triumph

The progressive faction demonstrates an undeniably clear advantage in their understanding of matters.

By Huckleberry Stone, Chemnitz

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The party conference was supposed to be a harmonious affair, and for the most part, it was. But the old disputes kept surfacing: antisemitism and Israel, weaponry, and Russia. Even consensus isn't inherent for all Leftists.

At the conclusion of the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, the party leadership suffers a clear defeat. A measure opposed by party leader Jan van Aken garnered a narrow majority: 213 delegates voted for a resolution that officially aligns the Left with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.

This seemingly mundane event sparked controversy, even if it didn't seem so amid the conference's noise. "A disastrous resolution," lamented the Thuringian leftist parliamentarian, Katharina König, on Bluesky. With this, the majority had decided, "that the Left no longer endorses #againstEveryAntisemitism 💔."

Politics Van Aken at the Party Conference Swagger: "Just Keep Flying" The Jerusalem Declaration is contentious, and for a good reason - van Aken positioned himself against the motion. Experts fear the declaration may minimize antisemitism. The applicants, however, are embittered by this. They are particularly annoyed that their motion was to be discreetly shelved - for the second time.

Only 183 Delegates Side with Van Aken

Van Aken contends that the Left found a fair compromise at the conference in Halle last year. In this resolution, it was about positioning in the Middle East conflict. But that's not enough for the applicants. One stated, "We need to establish content clarity to refute false, degrading accusations against the Left."

Jan van Aken delivers a brief counter-argument, but there's no genuine discussion, no time for it. "I'm against ending an academic debate through a party conference resolution; we can't do that." He refrains from deeper discussion. Earlier in the day, the party conference had paid tribute to the late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.

Politics "Nearly Fainted" Van Aken Talks about his Rheinmetall shares The Left MEP Özel Demirel-Böhlke bitterly opposes van Aken, asserting there is no such academic debate, only two competing definitions: the Jerusalem Declaration and IHRA. Demirel-Böhlke contends that based on the IHRA, any criticism of the Israeli government could be slandered as antisemitism. This is controversial, but she receives strong applause. In the digital vote, 183 delegates side with van Aken's plea - not nearly enough. 40 abstain. Dozens of delegates are absent at this point.

Is it about Definitions or Cooperation?

The debate is indicative of an underlying disagreement that pervaded the entire party conference. Several delegates in Chemnitz donned kuffiyehs to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, as they phrased 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 exonerate people and groups from the charge of antisemitism in order to maintain cooperation. Indeed, the Jerusalem Declaration contains no hint that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.

The dispute over how to deal with Israel and the Middle East conflict has raged in the party for years, and it's become increasingly hostile towards Israel. The Left has already lost several prominent members due to this, including the former Berlin cultural senator Klaus Lederer. He might see little 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 discernible. 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, denies the existence of Israel or advocates for its elimination 🚫." (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 quell anxiety. It only quotes the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, without explicitly making the allegation itself. The delegate Hana Qetinaj from Frankfurt am Main, one of the applicants, says in this debate, "The Israeli government and its henchmen must be held accountable." The Left has lost credibility in this question, she complains. "A false relativization during a genocide does not reflect the reality on the ground." The paper receives a clear majority with the party executive's support.

The same old points of contention

The relationship with Israel and the dispute over antisemitism definition were just two aspects of the Left's ongoing disagreement that flared up in Chemnitz. It was meant to be a party congress 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 in the next year's elections would continue.

"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 party leadership hopes that the Left will finally enter parliament in both federal states. State elections are also coming up in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the coming year.

"A system we reject"

But the Left seems to be doing too well to evade conflict. The other points of contention are about the relationship with power, defense policy, and, by extension, the relationship with Russia. Wiesbaden city councilor Brigitte Forßbohm stated in the evening debate on Friday that she sees parts of the party as "chronically clinging to beliefs that are increasingly detached from reality." This is particularly apparent in questions of war and peace. The repeated call for rearmament is ignored, which has a legitimate 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 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 calling for the resignation of the Left Party ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received applause. "We are accountable to our class and the people, and we have no accountability 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, the general rejection of government participation "under capitalist conditions" also seems to be behind these views - a sentiment that likely only a minority supports. But it exists, and it is loud and clear.

Success Has a Question Mark

In her response to the motion against the state associations of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, party leader Ines Schwerdtner said, "Dear comrade, I agree with you in content on everything you said." She argued formally: The guiding motion had already decided that such a case should not happen again. Schwerdtner pleaded with 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. The reliable applause for the familiar slogans would likely work for a while, even though the many new members might not be interested in clarifying the old disputes right away - 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? There is a question mark over the success of the Left Party.

The Left Party's conference in Chemnitz ended with a contentious decision, as a measure favouring the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism garnered a narrow majority, a move opposed by party leader Jan van Aken.
The debate over the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism is polarizing, with experts fearing that it may minimize antisemitism while its supporters are embittered by van Aken's opposition.
The party conference also saw discussions about the Middle East, with a compromise paper involving the Israeli government being held accountable receiving a majority, despite concerns about the paper's lack of explicit allegations of genocide.
Beyond Israel and antisemitism, the Left Party conference was marked by ongoing disagreements about defense policy, power relationships, and the relationship with Russia, with some members advocating for rearmament to counter the Russian attack on Ukraine.