Upcoming votings in Europe - The Left party perceives a rightward trend in the upcoming election, cautions Gysi.
In the last leg of the race for the European elections, the Left has issued a warning about a potential rightward shift. Former Left faction head Gregor Gysi spoke at a Potsdam rally, urging his supporters to stop such a move. "The influence of the European Parliament has grown significantly," he said, "and it would be disastrous if there was a right-wing, nationalist, and racist majority there."
Left Party Chair and European election front-runner Martin Schirdewan sees a double turning point in these elections. "We're facing a decision: either [European Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen's CDU or the traffic light coalition will continue with their austerity policies in Europe," he explained. "And we're faced with another choice: whether extremist, fascist, and new fascist movements will keep on gaining power or not."
Schirdewan advocated for a higher minimum wage in Germany than what Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans and a stronger social housing policy for Europe.
Gysi, who is also the Left's foreign policy spokesperson in the Bundestag, criticized former Left politician Sahra Wagenknecht and her BSW alliance. "Sure, one can leave a party and form a new one," he said, "but they shouldn't have taken those Bundestag mandates. In my opinion, that's theft."
Gysi also addressed the Russian attack on Ukraine, saying that talks are required for an immediate ceasefire between the two countries to halt the perpetual damage and destruction. He also repeated his request for recognition of a Palestinian state.
Around 65 million people are expected to vote in Germany on Sunday for the European elections. The Left is polling at 3% in the most recent ZDF political rating, while BSW scores at 7%. Germany does not have a 5% threshold for its European elections.
