Faction before disintegration
Left leader threatens Wagenknecht camp with expulsion
October 22, 2023, 8:13 p.m
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The former parliamentary group leader of the Left, Wagenknecht, wants to found her own party. In doing so, it not only influences the lives of its followers, but also those of its opponents: in the event of a secession, the Left loses its parliamentary group status in the Bundestag. The party leadership now wants to make short work of it.
Sahra Wagenknecht is serious: The former front woman of the Left has been at odds with her party for a long time. This Monday, the former parliamentary group leader wants to present her association BSW (“Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht”). According to the announcement, the previous parliamentary group leader Amira Mohamed Ali and Bundestag member Christian Leye are also taking part. A new Wagenknecht party could emerge from this association, which is expected to be founded in January.
A disaster for the party: If the Left parliamentary group loses two or more of its 38 MPs, it will also lose its parliamentary group status as a result of Parliament’s rules of procedure. This not only means fewer opportunities for influence, but also less money for the party.
Parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch had already stated that the jobs of 108 parliamentary group employees were at stake in this case. Bartsch accused Wagenknecht in Saturday’s “Tagesspiegel” of being “lax in dealing with the fate of more than 100 employees.” “I expect that we will lose our parliamentary group status in January when the new party is actually founded,” said Bartsch.
Party leadership: Anyone who goes with Wagenknecht will be thrown out
Reconciliation between the two camps now seems impossible. Left leader Martin Schirdewan has already threatened to expel all members who join Sahra Wagenknecht’s newly founded club. It is “clear that those who are involved in forming a rival party no longer have any place in our party and will be thrown out,” said Schirdewan on the ZDF program “Berlin Direkt”. A party expulsion process is already underway against Wagenknecht himself.
Schirdewan also told ZDF that a “liquidation of the faction” was already being considered. It is clear that anyone who is no longer a member of the party can no longer be a member of the left-wing faction in the Bundestag. A decision to dissolve the left-wing faction could be made at the group meeting on November 7th.
The ARD capital studio also reported, citing a resolution paper, that the Left board wants to initiate party exclusion proceedings against everyone involved in the association. In addition, it should be examined together with the responsible divisions how membership rights can be revoked. The party executive also wants to call on MPs who participate in the Wagenknecht Association to “resign the mandates they won through the Left”. According to ARD, the paper will be approved by the party’s executive board on Monday.
What chances does a Wagenknecht party have?
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil was meanwhile open to accepting Left Party members: “Our doors are open,” Klingbeil told “Welt am Sonntag”. “I will not distribute membership forms in the Left Party now,” he added. “But of course: Anyone who is committed to freedom, justice and solidarity and wants to make a difference in our country is welcome in the SPD.”
Former left-wing politician Thomas Lutze, who switched to the SPD, expects further defections in the event that the faction falls apart as a result of Wagenknecht founding a party. “If the parliamentary group breaks up, then other members of the Left will go to the Greens or the SPD,” the Bundestag member told the Germany editorial network. “I would be confident of switching to the SPD between six and ten.” Lutze had recently transferred from the left-wing faction to the SPD and its parliamentary group.
So far it is not entirely clear what the expected party should stand for. Wagenknecht has positioned herself as a sharp critic of the federal government’s Ukraine policy and the energy sanctions against Russia. She is in favor of importing cheap natural gas and against overly strict climate protection policies. She also advocates limiting migration. The new party is likely to compete with the AfD, which recently made significant gains in elections and in surveys. Wagenknecht had repeatedly described the Greens as the most dangerous party.