Dhe left-wing parliamentary group in the Bundestag has defused its internal directional dispute for the time being. “At least today it has become very clear that this party, this group wants to stay together,” said Parliamentary Secretary Jan Korte on Tuesday after a group meeting. A motion that would have amounted to a reprimand for MP Sahra Wagenknecht was withdrawn. Instead, at the suggestion of the parliamentary group leadership, the MPs passed an agreement intended to ensure “that everyone here will do their job properly,” said Korte. “And of course I’m looking forward to that.”
The reason for the escalation of the conflict, which has been brewing for years, was a Bundestag speech by Sahra Wagenknecht, who accused the federal government of “starting an economic war against Russia”. This position contradicts the resolutions of the party congress, in which the left had agreed to condemn Russia’s war of aggression.
The parliamentary group leader Amira Mohamed Ali said on Tuesday that Wagenknecht had not violated the party line. Speakers for the parliamentary group are required to reflect their opinion. “But the fact remains that all MPs are free in their mandate and committed to their conscience. That cannot be changed either.” Mohamed Ali warned of a split in her parliamentary group and the party. Bringing this about is irresponsible. “This is a situation that is highly explosive and that we have to deal with.”
In an open letter, three East German members of the state parliament of the left had called for Wagenknecht to be excluded from the parliamentary group and for the resignation of the two parliamentary group leaders Mohamed Ali and Dietmar Bartsch. Signatures were collected. Former Left Party leader Bernd Riexinger is also in favor of the resignation of the group leaders who are responsible for Wagenknecht being allowed to speak. They are regarded as supporters of Wagenknecht, although Bartsch is assigned to the wing of the reformers.
Bartsch had allied himself with Wagenknecht in the so-called horseshoe in order to secure each other’s power and to weaken the so-called movement left, which also includes party leader Janine Wissler. There is practically no more exchange between party and parliamentary group leaders. Last week there should be a switch in which Bartsch and Mohamed Ali did not take part. Bartsch has so far refused to resign.
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