After Sahra Wagenknecht and her supporters go their own political way, the left is united. The party presents a strategy – and attacks the traffic light parties.
After the political break with Sahra Wagenknecht, the Left wants to gain a new profile in economic and climate policy. A strategy paper provides for climate money of 200 euros per month, the state’s involvement in refineries and pipelines, and energy subsidies for industry.
After discussions in Berlin, co-chair Janine Wissler also sharply criticized the federal government’s steps against irregular migration. “All this talk of upper limits and border controls doesn’t solve a single problem. What we actually need is better financing for municipalities,” she demanded, citing investments in affordable housing and schools. Wissler said: “We don’t have a refugee problem, we have a distribution problem in this country.”
Criticism of traffic lights
Wagenknecht and nine other members of the Bundestag declared their departure from the Left around two weeks ago and announced a rival party. Before the European elections and the important East German state elections in the east in 2024, the Left is now trying to regain its footing and leave poor election results behind it. Unlike Wagenknecht, the Left is for strict climate protection and a rapid restructuring of the economy.
“You see the party today in great unity,” said Left co-chair Martin Schirdewan after the strategy discussions. The traffic light is getting out the “cutting hammer” and “slavishly” sticking to the debt brake.
Schirdewan: “We think this is a dead end that the traffic lights want to steer this country into.” Dietmar Bartsch, chairman of the left-wing parliamentary group in the Bundestag, demanded: “The time of paralyzing self-employment must be over, and it will be over.” For the left, the elections, especially the three state elections in the new federal states, are of particular importance.
The ideas of the left
According to the paper, everyone with a current income of up to 4,000 euros gross per month should receive the proposed “social climate money” of 200 euros per month. Nothing specific is said about financing. This also applies to the demanded “largest investment program in the history of the Republic” in industry, energy and transport. The paper simply repeats the call for abandoning the debt brake and for redistribution.
According to the Left’s ideas, an “industrial foundation” financed by the federal government should specifically take over shares in important companies and protect critical infrastructure such as refineries, pipelines, energy storage or ports from foreign takeovers.
The paper also calls for financial aid for companies to convert to more climate-friendly production and low energy prices for industrial companies. “Regional economic and transformation councils” with representatives from business, the state and associations should have a say in the allocation of research funding.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
