Following the withdrawal of Janine Wissler and Martin Schirdewan from the leadership of the Left Party, the first candidates are throwing their hats into the ring.
His name was mentioned almost immediately after the withdrawal of the Left Party’s leadership duo: Jan van Aken. The Hamburg native and former member of the Bundestag announced on several social networks that he wanted to run for the chairmanship of the Left Party. Co-chairs Janine Wissler and Martin Schirdewan announced on Sunday that they did not want to run for the chairmanship again at the party conference in October.
Van Aken has a doctorate in biology. He worked as a genetic engineering expert for the environmental organization Greenpeace and as a biological weapons inspector for the United Nations. Between 2009 and 2017, he sat for the Left Party in the Bundestag and was its deputy parliamentary group leader for two years.
Former party leader Bernd Riexinger had already mentioned the name van Aken at the weekend. He had the right manner of acting and brought with him “plenty of experience and political intuition,” he told “Spiegel”. Van Aken, however, did not want to comment on this to the magazine.
More confidence for the left
On Platform X, van Aken explained his candidacy: “Because we need a strong left-wing force that represents the interests of the people. Against social coldness, against the shift to the right, against war.” He is convinced that the left can do it “(again)”. Now mistakes must be worked through, but he also spoke out in favor of “more confidence.”
In addition to van Aken, journalist Ines Schwerdtner also declared her candidacy on Tuesday. In the European elections, she was fifth on the Left Party’s list, but failed to enter parliament. Schwerdtner was involved in the “Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co.” initiative and in a campaign against rising prices.
Departure of Sahra Wagenknecht has plunged the Left into crisis
Wissler and Schirdewan announced their resignation from the party leadership on Sunday. The reason given was that Germany needs a strong left. Schirdewan told journalists on Monday: “But in the past – and I have to be very self-critical here – we as a party have not been able to ignite political pressure, have not given the political answers that convince people of our party at the moment.” The party needs renewal.
The party has been in a downward spiral for a long time, which has been exacerbated by the split from the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). In the upcoming state elections, the party is in danger of being thrown out of parliament and thus losing the leadership of the government in Thuringia.
Sources: , news agency DPA
Source: Stern
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