Left party leadership in Saxony withdraws after election defeat

The party leaders of the Saxon Left Susanne Schaper and Stefan Hartmann want to step down from their joint office. "They will make their two offices as state chairpersons available at the state party conference in November," said Linke state managing director Lars Kleba. This was previously reported by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR). According to the party, this decision is due to the disappointing election result of 4.5 percent in the last state election. Schaper was elected parliamentary group leader last week and Hartmann was elected deputy parliamentary group leader.

Retiring after election defeat

Schaper and Hartmann informed party members internally by email on Tuesday that they wanted to step down after five years at the helm. In the letter, they admit that they have not done everything right during their time in office, but also emphasize that they have not done everything wrong. "The fact remains that we have not been able to live up to our claim of keeping our party's state election results stable. We don't want to be among those who shoot the biggest bucks and still cling to their seats," they continued. They emphasized that it is also the task of chairpersons to enable a fresh start in serious crises by taking a step into the second row.

Clear appeal for a fresh start

With a view to the Bundestag elections in September 2025, Schaper and Hartmann warned: "Our situation is serious and we don't have much time to make a fresh start."

According to the party, a dual leadership is expected to be elected again at the state party conference on November 16 in Neukieritzsch (Leipzig district). The party did not want to comment on possible candidates for the time being. "We informed our members yesterday about the withdrawal of Ms. Schaper and Mr. Hartmann and are using the long weekend to sound out the situation," said Kleba.