Left Party to federal party conference: European elections and fundamental debate
A good three weeks after Sahra Wagenknecht's wing of the party split, the Left Party will begin its national party conference in Augsburg on Friday (14:00). The main topic will be the European elections in June 2024, with party leader Martin Schirdewan and refugee and climate activist Carola Rackete leading the list of candidates. However, Wagenknecht's resignation and her planned rival party BSW are also likely to be on the agenda. On the opening day, Schirdewan will speak (3.15 p.m.) before a general debate scheduled to last several hours. The meeting will last three days.
The Left Party has suffered a series of electoral setbacks since the 2021 federal elections and is only polling around four percent in nationwide surveys. Due to the separation from Wagenknecht, her parliamentary group will also be dissolved on December 6. However, the party leadership around Schirdewan and co-chair Janine Wissler are hoping for an end to the ongoing dispute and a fresh start. They are courting activists from left-wing movements and disappointed supporters of the Greens and SPD with a course for strict climate protection and a generous asylum policy.
Despite Wagenknecht's departure and the formation of her rival party, the Left Party's national conference will still address her resignation and BSW ('Left Party's handling of Wagenknecht's departure and BSW will be discussed). As the European elections approach in 2024, the party will focus on its candidates and policy positions ('The party conference will primarily debate the European elections and its candidate list, led by Schirdewan and Rackete').
Source: www.dpa.com
