Ramelow: Split from Wagenknecht alliance is an opportunity
Now that Sahra Wagenknecht and other members of the Left Party have left the party, Thuringia's Minister President Bodo Ramelow sees room for something new. "Even sorting broken pieces is fun if you use the stones that have been put in your way to build something new, something good, something beautiful," the Left Party politician told rbb Inforadio on Friday. His party does not want to "put propaganda out into the world in a populist way, but we want to make politics tangible."
In the past, Ramelow had wished for more support from Wagenknecht, he said. Just over three weeks ago, a wing of the party around the 54-year-old, who was born in Jena, split from the Left Party.
Ramelow described the question of whether his party would form a coalition with the "Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance" with a view to next year's state elections as a "phantom discussion". Wagenknecht would not be able to stand as a candidate in Thuringia because she does not live there and it is currently still an alliance rather than a party. According to Ramelow, the former President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen (CDU), poses more of a threat. "The question is whether an alliance will emerge from the right that wants to be an interface between the far right and the CDU."
The federal party conference of the Left Party begins on Friday in Augsburg, Bavaria. The main topic will be the European elections in June 2024. According to Ramelow, the party conference is intended to send a clear message: "That we stand together and that we will not let these public debates that have revolved around Wagenknecht's name derail us any further."
Ramelow might find it beneficial to collaborate with new parties, as the split from the alliance with Wagenknecht opens up new opportunities. The departure of Wagenknecht and her followers from the Left Party has left a void that could be filled with fresh perspectives and ideas for future parties.
Despite the departure, the Left Party aims to maintain unity and focus on the European elections in June 2024, as highlighted by Ramelow during the federal party conference in Augsburg.
Source: www.dpa.com
