Leader of the Christian Democrats Friedrich Merz is congratulated by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz after being elected new chancellor at the German federal parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. [AP Photo\/Ebrahim Noroozi]<\/p>\n
Following its electoral success in the Bundestag (Federal Parliament) election, the Left Party is attempting to present itself as a social, anti-fascist and anti-militarist organisation at its party conference in Chemnitz, which began Friday. In its main motion entitled \u201cWe are the hope,\u201d the party describes itself as a \u201cdriving political force for such a solidarity-based alternative.\u201d The Left Party \u201cplays a central role in the protest against rearmament, social spending cuts, climate destruction and the shift to the right\u201d and pursues the goal of \u201cfurther developing itself as a socialist membership party.\u201d<\/p>\n
These are all outright lies. Young workers and students who want to fight against fascism, militarism and social cuts and who voted for the Left Party in the Bundestag election are faced with fundamental historical and political tasks. Above all, they must develop a correct understanding of the role of the Left Party. It does not represent their interests and is not a left-wing or even a socialist party. In fact, it plays a central role in social spending cuts and the deportation of refugees and also agrees in all essentials with the government\u2019s policy on the issue of war.<\/p>\n
This was particularly evident in the election of Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) as the new federal chancellor in the second round of voting in parliament a few days ago. The Left Party\u2019s support was decisive in enabling Merz to take office\u2014a politician who openly works with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on key issues and supports the interests of finance capital, aggressive militarism and an authoritarian state like almost no other German politician.<\/p>\n
After Merz failed in the first round of voting in parliament, this triggered feverish nervousness among all Bundestag parties. An open political crisis was brewing that threatened to shake the stability of German and European capitalism and imperialism. To prevent this, the parliamentary fractions agreed on the same day to hold a second round of voting\u2014with the consent of the Left Party, whose deputies\u2019 votes were needed to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to adjust parliamentary rules so the second vote could go ahead.<\/p>\n
Shortly before the second vote, the notoriously right-wing head of the CDU\/Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentary fraction, Jens Spahn, bluntly explained what was at stake. The whole of Europe, perhaps even the whole world, was watching this election, he said, because Germany is needed. He then thanked everyone who had made a second round of voting possible so quickly\u2014above all the Left Party. Its leaders had assured Merz immediately after the failed first vote that they would make a second election possible.<\/p>\n
Bodo Ramelow, former minister president of Thuringia and current vice president of the Bundestag, assured: \u201cAs the Left Party, we will also help to ensure that the two-thirds majority is achieved.\u201d And after the election, he praised the decision with the words: \u201cWe did not elect Friedrich Merz. But we made the ballot possible in order to protect democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bodo Ramelow (Die Linke) and his wife Germana Alberti vom Hofe vote in the state election in Thuringia, at a polling station in Erfurt, Germany, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. [AP Photo\/Ronny Hartmann]<\/p>\n
Former parliamentary fraction leader Dietmar Bartsch celebrated his party\u2019s statesmanlike role with the words: \u201cChaos was prevented today!\u201d<\/p>\n
In summary: In a historic moment of political instability, the Left Party played the key role in making Merz\u2019s chancellorship possible and paving the way for his extreme right-wing government. Its reaction to its surprising electoral success in the recent federal election\u2014it achieved the best result of all parties among voters under the age of 25 with 25 percent of the vote\u2014was a sharp lurch to the right.<\/p>\n The Merz government is undoubtedly the most reactionary and anti-working class government since the fall of the Nazi regime 80 years ago. Its central aim is to remove the last restrictions imposed on German militarism as a result of its unprecedented crimes in the Second World War. With the adoption of war credits amounting to \u20ac1 trillion, it has already laid the foundations for a massive military build-up.<\/p>\n The new coalition of the conservative\u00a0 CDU and CSU, and Social Democrats (SPD) is not only rearming like Hitler once did\u2014it is also preparing an unprecedented austerity programme and is pushing ahead with the establishment of an authoritarian police state. This is intended to secure the funds for rearmament and suppress growing resistance among the population. Domestically, it is adopting the refugee policy of the fascist AfD and opening the door to its nationalistically charged \u201ccultural policy.\u201d<\/p>\n This did not stop party chairwoman Ines Schwerdtner from appealing to Merz for permanent close cooperation with the new government immediately after his election as chancellor. \u201cI expect the CDU\/CSU to get in touch not only when the house is on fire, but also for other political decisions when a two-thirds majority is required,\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n The significance of such a statement is unmistakable. The Left Party sees itself as part of the new government and is ready to push through its right-wing program in the face of enormous popular opposition.<\/p>\n According to a Deutschlandtrend poll published on Wednesday, the new coalition is even more unpopular than the previous government, which included the SPD, Greens, and Free Democrats. According to the poll, only a third of the population think Merz is a good choice for chancellor. Only 4 percent of respondents think the new government is \u201cvery good,\u201d 38 percent think it is \u201cgood,\u201d 29 percent think it is \u201cless good\u201d and 24 percent think it is \u201cbad.\u201d<\/p>\n The Left Party\u2019s solidarity with Merz and his hated government is no mere coincidence. It is a direct result of its social and political orientation. It is a party of the state whose primary goal is to defend capitalism and the bourgeois order. In doing so, it is prepared to cooperate with openly right-wing and militaristic forces and help them impose their policies.<\/p>\n Just a few weeks before Merz\u2019s election, the Left Party already approved war credits amounting to over \u20ac1 trillion in the Bundesrat (Federal Council)\u2014the largest rearmament program since Hitler. The party\u2019s support was not only voluntary, since their votes were not required to pass it, but was also politically justified by leading members. Party chairwoman Schwerdtner and lead candidate in the federal election Reichinnek repeatedly declared that they were not against rearmament, but merely wanted to help shape it efficiently.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n