Ines Schwerdtner, the leader of the party, appears calm and composed regarding the upcoming party congress. She is ready to face the open struggle for the chairmanship.
The party congress is expected to focus heavily on personnel restructuring. The opportunity for a change in leadership has been highlighted by several individuals. Following the announcement that her co-party leader, Jan van Aken, will not be running for re-election in June, faction vice-president Luigi Pantisano has officially declared his candidacy. Schwerdtner told “ntv” that she had worked with Pantisano in the Bundestag with great trust and ease over the past year, stating that she was genuinely pleased by his willingness to succeed her. However, the atmosphere also suggests an internal struggle, as the Berlin faction member Katalin Gennburg has publicly called for the position currently held by Schwerdtner to be filled by a new person. Schwerdtner reacted calmly to this, noting that “it can happen. It wouldn’t be bad; competition livens things up”.
Beyond the individual appointments, the classic ideological debate within the party might re-emerge in Potsdam. A fundamental question continues to divide the membership: whether the party should operate strictly as an opposition force or pursue governing coalitions. While this debate was historically dominated by figures like Sahra Wagenknecht, it is now being advanced by younger members. Schwerdtner presented the party’s current stance by stating, “Our motto is: Everyone wants to govern; we want to change things”. She clarified that this agenda could translate into participation in government or operating as the opposition, depending on the federal state-in Berlin, for example, the goal is to hold the office of the Governing Mayor. She emphasized that she intends to address this perennial discussion with great responsibility and solidarity, given the current seriousness of the country’s political climate.
On a policy level, Schwerdtner plans to refocus the party on core social issues. She stressed the importance of concentrating on social concerns, pointing to the successes of the party’s housing campaigns. Given nationwide dissatisfaction and the poor polling numbers surrounding the current federal government, she believes the Linke has a duty to act as a left-leaning outlet for protest. According to her, the party’s role is to organize opposition to the ruling government’s policies and offer alternative, viable solutions. She concluded that the party must present the public with a meaningful alternative offer to prevent dissatisfied voters from switching their allegiance to the political right.