German politician Gregor Gysi has urged the spirit of the Left Party to continue. “The Left Party is not going to give up” he said on Saturday at the Left Party’s congress in Berlin.
Gysi specifically praised the enthusiasm of the young and new members. “Under the time pressure of the advance federal election, we will be ‘more active, faster, and more efficient'” he added.
The task of the opposition is to change the Zeitgeist. He cited the statutory minimum wage as an example. Although there was no majority for it when his party started demanding it, the Left Party’s efforts led to its implementation. Without the Left Party, left-wing arguments would be missing in parliaments, media, and society.
Gysi also shared side blows at other parties. “We have already had eight or nine chancellor candidates, we don’t need another” he said. “Because we don’t want to make ourselves ridiculous, unlike others.” However, he added, “We have many competitors, but only one enemy – and that is the AfD.”
Furthermore, he criticized the lack of recognition for the achievements of people in eastern Germany, which still persists. With his re-election to the Bundestag, the 77-year-old hopes to become the President of the Parliament, a unique achievement for an East German. Since the 19th legislative period, the oldest member is no longer the one with the most years of life, but the one with the most years of service.