The leadership of Saxony's Left Party has described plans to split from the party as reckless toward the more than 200 employees in the parliamentary group and their families. "It is particularly irresponsible in a social situation that requires a strong Left all the more. Whoever weakens it for selfish motives will soon find that these motives are not a basis for the lasting success of a party," stressed party leader Susanne Schaper and co-chair Steffen Hartmann on Thursday in Dresden.
The left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht has long been associated with the formation of its own party. Her office confirmed on Thursday that after months of preparation, an association called "Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht" will first be officially presented next Monday. This is seen as a concrete step toward founding Wagenknecht's own party, which could combine left-wing social policies with strict asylum policies and a move away from overly harsh climate protection.
The possible split is a problem above all for the Left's parliamentary group in the Bundestag. It now has only 38 deputies. If Wagenknecht and her eight to twelve supporters left, it would no longer be enough for the Left to form its own parliamentary group. It could only continue as a group - or as two competing groups. Without faction status, financial state support would be lost, there would be less speaking time and fewer parliamentary rights.
"The Left is and remains the right address for everyone who cares about justice and solidarity for all people living in the country, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, social climate protection and the determined fight against the extreme right," Schaper and Hartmann wrote in their statement. A left-wing party, they said, must bring people together in solidarity and not pit them against each other.
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