It is the end of a war of the roses. Since the Left has fallen below the minimum parliamentary group size of 37 members since the departure of its former icon Sahra Wagenknecht and her group, it will be liquidated on December 6th. «This day is no reason to celebrate. There will no longer be a parliamentary group sitting to the left of the traffic lights next year,” explains co-parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch at the press conference in the Bundestag.
In order to save a small part of the political influence, the Left now wants to form a parliamentary group. “A group can achieve a lot politically,” Bartsch bravely notes and assures us that it is by no means the end of the left. “I want to say it clearly: it’s better to be united at 28 than divided at 38.”
Long hanging section
The end of the group has become apparent. Sahra Wagenknecht had put her party through torture for an agonizingly long time. Her departure with a group of allies to found her own formation was almost a relief; there was finally clarity. But the “Wagenknechts” retained their Bundestag mandates as ex-leftists, which meant the faction was counted.
Due to the lack of the necessary number of representatives, it must be liquidated and wound up. The board no longer wanted to accept the poisoned farewell gift from the renegades of remaining in the Left faction until the party was founded in order to secure over 100 jobs for a little longer.
Debacle with an announcement
For Berlin political scientist Gero Neugebauer, the faction’s inglorious end is a debacle for the left. “It is, so to speak, the icing on the cake on a development that became visible in 2012, when the Left was no longer able to draw votes from other parties and respond to the development of society with adequate political programs.”
When the disputes with Sahra Wagenknecht increased and her desire to secede became obvious, the Left board allowed itself to be led by the nose for far too long.
Optimism of purpose
Dietmar Bartsch wants to see the end of the group as a new beginning. «We have a chance if we do our homework. That means advancing the programmatic debate on some issues and, above all, finally putting an end to this paralyzing self-preoccupation.” The aim is to get back into parliament as a parliamentary group in the federal election in two years.
But now the left’s 108 Bundestag employees have to eat out the soup. Last year, the Left parliamentary group collected over 11 million euros in Bundestag funds. As a backbencher there are far fewer resources. Therefore, all employees will be terminated on December 6th.