Open for Dialogue: Reichinnek Suggests Cooperation with Union to Keep AfD at Bay in Saxony-Anhalt
Union-friendly stance left open for Reichinnek
Heidi Reichinnek, leader of the Left faction in Germany's Bundestag, is open to collaborating with the Union parties, offering a potential solution to prevent the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) from taking power in Saxony-Anhalt.
In an interview with the German Editorial Network (RND), Reichinnek said, "We don't combust when sitting in a room with the CDU during the Chancellor's election. We have little common ground with the Union, but we communicate with all democrats to achieve something for the people."
Reichinnek considered a scenario where the Union tolerates a CDU state government in Saxony-Anhalt to thwart an AfD government after the 2026 election. She declared, "I'd do many things to keep my home from falling to the AfD."
She urged the Union to revoke its incompatibility resolution with the Left, stating, "If the CDU collaborates with a democratic party like the Left instead of the extremist AfD, all they need is basic democratic principles. We aim to make democracy more socially just, while the AfD seeks to abolish it."
The CDU responded coolly, with Sepp Müller remarking on ntv.de that "The Left is and remains the successor party to the SED. It still advocates for socialism in its party program. They cannot be our partners, either in the federal government or in the state."
United Front: A Collaborative Strategy for Progressive Majorities
Reichinnek called for a joint strategy between the Left, Greens, and SPD to enable potential red-red-green coalition options, acknowledging, "We need to develop more support for our values in society as a whole. We're taking votes from each other now, but we must come together to reach progressive majorities in the next four years."
In recent polls, the Left has surpassed the Greens for the first time. However, Reichinnek didn't view this as a victory for her party, stating, "It doesn't help if the Greens and us snatch five percent of the votes back and forth. Instead, we should ask: Which demographics do the Greens reach? Which do we reach? And what can we achieve together?"
Criticizing the Social Democrats, Reichinnek commented, "I see nothing in the black-red coalition agreement that the SPD once stood for, and it's feared that little will remain of the SPD after this coalition under the BlackRock Chancellor Merz. I hope the SPD will come to their senses in the next four years."
The LeftSaxony-AnhaltSaxony-Anhalt State ElectionRed-Red-GreenAfD
Enrichment Insights:As of mid-2025, a formal stance from Die Linke in Saxony-Anhalt regarding the formation of a red-red-green coalition to prevent an AfD-led government in the upcoming state election has not been declared. In neighboring states, Die Linke has demonstrated a willingness to work with moderate and centrist partners to keep the AfD out of government. The party's recent federal election success and youth support, coupled with the general pressure on eastern German parties to prevent the AfD from governing, could lead to increased interest in broad left-leaning coalitions in Saxony-Anhalt. However, the specifics for Saxony-Anhalt would depend on the election results and parties' willingness to negotiate.
- The community policy and employment policy discussions among the Left, Greens, and SPD, as suggested by Heidi Reichinnek, aim to develop a collaborative strategy that strengthens their values and aims for progressive majorities in upcoming elections.
- Politics and policy-and-legislation surrounding the general news in Saxony-Anhalt include the potential formation of a red-red-green coalition to prevent the far-right AfD party from taking power, a scenario that Heidi Reichinnek advocates for, emphasizing the importance of cooperating with democrats to maintain social justice and democracy.
