Friday 10th September 2021
Probing after the federal election
The left is expecting an invitation to talk
The co-party leader of the Left firmly assumes that her party will also be involved in the exploratory talks on the formation of a future government. The two SPD politicians Lauterbach and Heil are rather cautious in this regard.
The Left assumes that after the federal election it will be invited to exploratory talks on the formation of a possible red-green-red federal government. “There are signals, at least from the party leadership of the SPD, to allow explorations with all parties to take place. I believe that neither the Greens nor the SPD could afford to skip talks about future government participation,” said the co-head of the Party, Susanne Hennig-Wellsow. “I assume that we as leftists will probe.”
Hennig-Wellsow described the situation as “very complex” in view of the very different alliance options that were emerging after the election and spoke of “windows of opportunity” for their party. She affirmed the will to want to participate in government: “The Left is setting out to play a decisive role in this Federal Republic.” On the subject of NATO and foreign policy, probably the biggest sticking point in possible negotiations with the SPD and the Greens, Hennig-Wellsow said: “Anyone who wants confessions has to go to church. Confessions are not yet politics. The SPD must also consider whether to participate wants to work on getting a policy of détente on the way. ” SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz had made a clear commitment to NATO a condition for all potential coalition partners. The left is striving to dissolve the alliance.
Lauterbach and Heil speak out against alliance
The SPD politician Karl Lauterbach spoke out against an alliance between his party and the Left Party after the federal election. “We would not make headway in foreign, defense and domestic policy, but also in overcoming the corona and climate crisis, and we would split up. Such an alliance would have no future,” says Lauterbach in the podcast “Die Wochenester” from ” Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger “and the editorial network Germany. “We would have constant arguments and would probably have to dissolve the alliance after a short time.” He has a very clear preference for red-green. “If that doesn’t work, a traffic light.”
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil is also distancing himself from the Left Party. “Our program can be implemented. With the Left Party, that’s too much make-a-wish and in-heaven-is fair”, said the SPD politician to the “Spiegel”. Before an election one cannot promise things “that may sound nice but cannot be implemented”. In coalitions after the election there are a few points that are not negotiable for the SPD. “This includes the responsibility for foreign and security policy, our membership in NATO. Whoever questions that will not govern.”
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