
The Strange Death of the German Left
More than three decades after the end of the communist GDR, the successor to the former state party is being ripped apart by internal divisions.

More than three decades after the end of the communist GDR, the successor to the former state party is being ripped apart by internal divisions.

A hotly anticipated left-wing, anti-immigration party seems set to emerge as multiple MPs pledged support to Sahra Wagenknecht the past week and Die Linke entered crisis talks to avoid a schism.

Time will certainly tell whether the Left Party’s left-liberal shift will end up paying electoral dividends or whether it will have the opposite effect and precipitate the long-anticipated split within the party.

Thuringia’s AfD co-leader Stefan Möller welcomed the development. “When I look at Wagenknecht’s positions, a partnership with her seems the most likely,” he said.

Her unique appeal and broad popularity flies in the face of the traditional—some might go so far as to say antiquated—Right-Left political spectrum, leading to speculation whether Wagenknecht will establish a party.

Prominent politicians, media figures, and everyday working people from Germany’s political Right and Left attended the protest.