Pau declares a parliamentary break and encourages the left-wing faction.
Long-standing Left Party parliamentarian Petra Pau is calling it quits after over two decades in the Bundestag. At a gathering in Berlin, she voiced her disinterest in running again for the next federal election. This decision leaves the party, currently battling a crisis and poor poll ratings, without another influential figure in parliament. "By 2025, it will be my 27th year in the Bundestag," Pau stated. Serving as deputy president for nearly 19 years, she's dealt with her fair share of challenges. "Thank you to everyone who's backed me," she added.
Pau, who served as the Berlin PDS chair for a brief stint from 1992, entered the Bundestag in 1998 and became deputy president in 2006. Her voice condition, which made public speaking challenging at times, has been an ongoing issue.
Representing her party and its predecessor, the PDS, as a direct candidate from East Berlin for numerous years, Pau was once the sole PDS MP directly elected in Berlin when the party failed to surpass the 5% threshold in 2002. Gesine Lötzsch, another directly elected MP from Berlin, has also announced her departure from the Bundestag in 2025. Over the years, Pau has secured a seat in parliament through direct elections six times, moving into her current position via the state list in 2021.
Battling a severe crisis after the split of the alliance led by Sahra Wagenknecht, the Left Party is currently polling at 3-4% nationwide. Co-chairs Martin Schirdewan and Janine Wissler have announced their departure from the party leadership. Journalist Ines Schwerdtner and former MP Jan van Aken are set to take their place at the federal party conference in Halle (18-20 October).
Addressing the Berlin Left party conference, Pau warned of the party's potential fate. She emphasized that either the party will rise as a significant alternative for the 21st century or risk becoming irrelevant. A personnel change alone won't suffice. "The party needs to embark on a transformation jointly," she stated. Focusing on social justice, climate change, and digitalization, she insists that the Left Party must remain a "red" force in the 21st century while also incorporating green and pirate ideologies, becoming a red-green and red-pirate party.
After serving as deputy president of the German Bundestag for nearly 19 years, Petra Pau voiced her decision to step down in 2025, leaving a significant gap in the party's influential figures. During her time in the Bundestag, Pau, a long-standing Left Party parliamentarian, represented East Berlin and secured a seat six times through direct elections.
