German Left Party Leader Expresses Concerns Over Personal Consequences of Election Outcome
Sahra Wagenknecht, the head of the German Left Party, has expressed concerns about the potential personal consequences of the party’s performance in the upcoming election. In an interview with the ARD-Hauptstadtstudio, she stated, “The election is also a vote on my political future.” Wagenknecht emphasized the importance of having a seat in the Bundestag, as without it, individuals in Germany have no political voice.
Despite her concerns, Wagenknecht appears confident in her party’s prospects, citing the strong support the party has received at its campaign events. She believes it is crucial that the party’s momentum is maintained after the election, warning that if not, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) could potentially gain power in four years’ time.
Wagenknecht rejected criticism of the AfD’s influence in the Bundestag, following the party’s first-time involvement in the approval of a union-proposed bill and an amendment. She argued that the AfD’s strength is not due to the fact that it is being voted with, but rather the result of the government’s failure to address important issues, such as unregulated immigration, the pension system and the housing market.
The party leader also criticized the involvement of Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Green Party representatives in anti-right-wing protests, describing it as “hypocritical.” She attributed the AfD’s recent surge in popularity to the previous government’s inability to address these issues, which she claimed the SPD and the Greens were a part of during their coalition government.
The German Left Party currently lingers in the polls, with uncertain prospects of clearing the five percent threshold, leaving Wagenknecht and her colleagues’ Bundestag representation in the balance.