The Left - Mayor of Frankfurt (Oder) leaves the Left Party
The Mayor of Frankfurt (Oder), René Wilke, has resigned from the party The Left after 24 years due to growing disagreements with the federal political alignment of the party on fundamental issues. Wilke wrote in his resignation statement, which was obtained by the German Press Agency on Sunday, that "the internal tightrope walk was no longer bearable for me." This became apparent during the discussion on ZDF's "Markus Lanz" show in March and the reactions within and from the party. The topic was attacks and assaults on local politicians.
A prominent Left politician is leaving
A prominent and important local politician is leaving The Left, just less than three months before the state election. Wilke emphasized: "I am leaving without rancor and looking back on the common time and the many things I was able to shape together with the members of the Left over the past 24 years with great gratitude." He thanked Linke-Landeschef Sebastian Walter, who he described as an anchor and trustworthy representative of the party.
The Left suffered drastic losses in Brandenburg in the European and local elections compared to 2019. A week ago, the Brandenburg state parliamentarian Marlen Block resigned from The Left out of frustration.
No party switch in sight
The Mayor of Frankfurt Oder intends to remain in office. "I will continue to work very closely with the fraction in the city council," he wrote in his statement. When asked if he saw a new party in sight at the moment, he replied: "No." Wilke announced his resignation to the local branch of The Left on Saturday.
Wilke chose the timing carefully: "I have deliberately waited with this step until after the communal election to avoid causing unnecessary damage to the party," he wrote. Wilke had already criticized the course of The Left in the federal government for some time and made this public. "I no longer find myself politically aligned with the federal party," he told the Märkische Oderzeitung in May.
The German Press Agency reported Wilke's resignation on Sunday, revealing displeasure within The Left over his departure. The forthcoming state election in Brandenburg will see The Left contend with recent resignations, including Wilke and Marlen Block from Frankfurt (Oder) and Brandenburg, respectively. Following his resignation, Wilke is expected to continue serving as Mayor of Frankfurt (Oder), despite expressing disagreement with the federal political alignment of The Left. Wilke's resignation comes amidst growing dissatisfaction with The Left's performance in both the European and local elections in Brandenburg, where significant losses were sustained compared to 2019. During the ZDF's "Markus Lanz" show, Wilke publicly expressed his disagreements with the party's handling of attacks and assaults on local politicians, sparking internal tension within The Left.
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