Two new groups in parliament
The Wagenknecht alliance plans to form in the Bundestag
December 4, 2023, 1:06 p.m
By leaving the Left, Sahra Wagenknecht and like-minded MPs are causing the collapse of the Left faction in the Bundestag. This will resolve this week. Now two applications to form a group will soon be received in the Bundestag.
After leaving the Left, Sahra Wagenknecht and nine other MPs want to form their own group in the Bundestag next week. On December 12th, the “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” will be properly constituted in the Bundestag and will then apply for group status, a spokeswoman said.
Wagenknecht and her nine fellow campaigners left the Left Party in October. That’s why the previous left-wing faction, which currently had 38 members, will dissolve on December 6th.
The remaining 28 Left MPs have already submitted an application to form their own group and are hoping for rapid recognition by the Bundestag. What is needed is a resolution from the plenary session that determines the rights of a new group in parliamentary operations.
Fewer rights, less money
One group has fewer parliamentary rights than a parliamentary group, for example when making questions to the government. And it receives less financial support from the state treasury. It remains to be seen whether the Bundestag will decide on both groups – the Left and the Wagenknecht Group – in parallel. It is also unclear how both groups will be placed in the plenary hall in the future.
With the dissolution of the left-wing faction, 108 employees will lose their jobs, for example political speakers or office employees. How many of them will be employed by the new groups in the future also depends on their financial resources. It probably won’t be all of them.