A German Left Party’s Chancellor Candidate Rejects a Confrontational Approach to the AfD
Sahra Wagenknecht, the German Left Party’s (Die Linke) chancellor candidate, has rejected a confrontational approach to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In an interview with the Funke media group, she stated that the AfD’s exclusionary rhetoric has only strengthened the party, and that a more nuanced approach is needed to address the party’s policies.
When asked if she would support the AfD’s chancellor candidate, Alice Weidel, Wagenknecht responded that Weidel has radicalized and aligned with the AfD’s far-right wing, promoting an “elbow-room society” where the wealthy, such as Elon Musk, pay fewer taxes and have less regard for the common good.
Wagenknecht also criticized the AfD’s policies, saying that many of its voters, who are predominantly not part of the privileged classes, would suffer under the party’s program. She noted that the AfD’s voters often support the party’s policies on issues like peace in Ukraine, stopping irregular migration, and addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, but that the party’s approach would ultimately harm its own voters.
The chancellor candidate set a goal of entering the German Bundestag, stating that it would be a significant success for the party to do so in its first election. She also warned against the potential deployment of German soldiers to secure a peace deal in Ukraine, saying that the country needs security guarantees from neutral powers, not Germany.
Wagenknecht also called for an end to Germany’s arms deliveries to Ukraine, proposing that Russia be offered a ceasefire and the start of peace talks in exchange for a halt in the deliveries. She criticized the German government’s decision to provide three billion euros in aid to Ukraine, saying it was irresponsible and only prolonged the conflict.
The chancellor candidate’s remarks highlight the German Left Party’s nuanced approach to the AfD, which is distinct from the more confrontational stance of some other parties in the German parliament.