The co-leader of Germany’s Left Party (Die Linke), Jan van Aken, has publicly critiqued Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU, accusing him of exhibiting performative and aggressive behaviour. In a recent appearance on the Funke Media Group’s podcast “Meine schwerste Entscheidung” van Aken stated he perceives a tendency towards this behaviour in Merz, a trait he finds particularly concerning.
Van Aken specifically referenced Merz’s early trip to Kyiv following his appointment as Chancellor and subsequent threats of further sanctions against Russia, as an example. He claimed Merz appeared to be making empty threats, lacking substantive backing for his rhetoric.
The comments come amidst ongoing political maneuvering in the Bundestag. The current coalition government, comprised of CDU and SPD, requires a two-thirds majority for key decisions – such as the election of constitutional judges or reforms to the debt brake – and may need to rely on votes from parties outside the governing alliance, including Die Linke or the AfD. Merz has thus far refused to engage in negotiations with either of these parties.
Van Aken also detailed the personal considerations involved in his decision to run for the leadership of Die Linke, describing a prior position with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Tel Aviv as a dream job focused on disarmament and conflict resolution. He indicated it represented a financially secure and professionally fulfilling role.
However, he ultimately ran for leadership driven by a fear of a potential far-right shift in German politics. Van Aken expressed concern about a growing trend of support for the AfD, predicting the possibility of a conservative-AfD government “in the not-too-distant future” potentially beginning at the state level, citing next year’s elections in Saxony-Anhalt as a key indicator.
He also voiced particular reservations regarding Jens Spahn, the parliamentary group leader of the CDU/CSU, suggesting his actions and statements indicate a willingness to keep the possibility of cooperation with the AfD open, even at the federal level. Van Aken emphasized his concern that Spahn’s behaviour is not merely accidental or misguided.