Staying Open: Reichinnek Proposes Collaboration with Union to Counter AfD
Union-friendly approach left door open for Reichinnek collaboration
Chairwoman of the Left faction in the Bundestag, Heidi Reichinnek, is showing a willingness to collaborate further with the Union. In conversation with the editorial network Germany (RND), she stated, "On the day of the chancellor's election, we shared a room with the CDU, and no one set the place on fire. We have little in common with the Union, and that's a good thing. But of course, we keep chatting with all democrats to create something for the people."
** backend-rant: The Left's Olive Branch to the Union**
Reichinnek has even considered tolerating a CDU state government in her home state of Saxony-Anhalt to prevent an AfD government following the 2026 state election. She expressed, "I am personally game for many things before my home falls into the hands of the AfD." She urged the Union to revoke its restriction on cooperation with the Left, stating, "The CDU can and should collaborate with a democratic party like the Left, not with the right-wing extremist AfD. All it needs is a solid democratic compass. The Left wants to make democracy more socially just, while the AfD aims to eliminate it. It ought to be simple to decide with whom one works or not."
This openness was not well-received by the CDU, with Sepp Müller from ntv.de stating, "The Left is and remains the successor party to the SED. It still demands socialism in its party program. It cannot be a partner for us, either in the federal government or in the state."
United Front: Red-Red-Green Strategy for Public Outreach
Reichinnek called for a joint strategy between the Left, Greens, and SPD to enable red-red-green coalition options. She emphasized, "To achieve progressive majorities in the next four years, we must think beyond our parties. Unfortunately, we are currently taking votes from each other. But we must increase public support for our ideas as a collective."
In a recent survey, the Left has surpassed the Greens for the first time. However, Reichinnek did not consider this a victory for her party but rather stated, "It doesn't profit us if the Greens and we swap 5% of the votes back and forth. Instead, we should ask ourselves: Which segments does the Greens engage? Which do we engage? And what can we achieve together?"
Reichinnek also criticized the SPD, stating, "In the black-red coalition agreement, I see nothing that the SPD once stood for, and it is feared that little will remain of the SPD after this coalition under the BlackRock Chancellor Merz. I hope that the SPD will regain its senses in the next four years."
- The Left
- Saxony-Anhalt
- State Election in Saxony-Anhalt
- Red-Red-Green
- AfD
- Greens
- SPD
Insight:
Coalition negotiations in Saxony-Anhalt are ongoing, with the Left, Greens, and SPD considering a red-red-green coalition to counter the right-wing populist AfD. Historically, these collaborations have been explored and implemented in various German states. However, specific details about the current negotiations and the stance of these parties are not clearly stated in the available information.
- In order to counter the right-wing populist AfD in the upcoming State Election in Saxony-Anhalt, the Left, Greens, and SPD are considering a red-red-green coalition, advocated by Chairwoman Heidi Reichinnek, as stated, "To achieve progressive majorities in the next four years, we must think beyond our parties."
- In her call for coalition, Reichinnek urged the parties to increase public support for their ideas collectively, saying, "We must ask ourselves: Which segments does the Greens engage? Which do we engage? And what can we achieve together?" This comes amidst the Left surpassing the Greens in a recent survey, a development that Reichinnek does not view as a victory for her party but as an opportunity for collaboration.
