Negotiations between the Left faction and the center-right CDU/CSU parliamentary group have not taken place ahead of Thursday’s scheduled election for a judge on the Federal Constitutional Court. Heidi Reichinnek, parliamentary group leader of the Left party, confirmed the lack of contact during a press conference in Berlin on Monday, preceding a meeting of her faction.
Reichinnek stated that the Left party will now convene internally to discuss their approach to the upcoming vote and assess the current internal sentiment within the group. She further commented on a missed opportunity for the CDU/CSU to engage in dialogue and, crucially, to provide assurances that they would not seek to form a majority with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has been identified as right-wing extremist.
“The Union had the opportunity to reach out and, above all, to clarify that they will not be seeking majorities with the confirmed right-wing extremist AfD. They did not do so” Reichinnek said. She concluded that the Left party will now determine how they will respond to this situation.