The leaders of the Left party, Ines Schwerdtner and Jan van Aken, have announced that they will run again for the party chair at the upcoming National Party Conference in June. Both spokesmen told the Thursday edition of the “Rheinische Post” that they wish to remain in their roles.
Van Aken explained that they have already seen success and that the partnership is enjoyable. “We want to keep working as a team because we’ve achieved results and this job with Ines brings me real pleasure” he said. Schwerdtner added, “Jan and I want to continue because we’ve demonstrated what the Left is capable of”.
Looking ahead, van Aken outlined a program of ambition. “In the coming months there is a lot of work, but also hope for the party. We expect to enter two West German state parliaments where no left‑wing representatives have served so far. We also aim to secure first place with Elif Eralp in Berlin, and in eastern Germany we will do everything possible to prevent the AfD from reaching the levers of power” he said.
Schwerdtner emphasized the need for the Left’s politics to be felt in everyday life and to be effective in parliament. “Our task is to build a party that concretely helps people in daily life and organizes hope” she said.
The election of the party board will take place at the National Party Conference in Potsdam this June. In October 2024, Schwerdtner and van Aken were elected as chairpersons of the Left. Since their appointment, the party has registered more than 76,600 new members, bringing its total membership to over 123,000.