German left reborn at the polls and grows 65% in Parliament

The Die Linke Party (the left) secured, on Sunday (23), its return to Bundestag with an enlarged bench by winning 8.8% of the votes in Germany’s early legislative election. The acronym reached the 64 seats of the 630, a significant advance compared to the 39th of the 2021 election.

The result represents a left turn, which had been below the barrier clause limit in 2021, ensuring representation only thanks to the conquest of three direct terms. Now, with significant growth compared to the 4.9% obtained in the last federal election, the caption again has full bench status in the German Parliament.

“Die Linke is alive and has shown that it is possible to build a strong and leftist opposition,” said party co -president Jan Van Aken in his speech on the night of the election.

The result represents not only the overcoming of internal fragmentation caused by Sahra Wagenknecht’s departure in 2023, but also a party statement as the main left opposition force in the country.

Recovery after internal division

Die Linke has spent recent years in crisis, with internal disputes and successive electoral defeats. In 2023, one of the party’s main political paintings, Sahra Wagenknecht broke with the party, accompanied by nine other federal deputies. This decision resulted in the loss of party bench status in Bundestag, as the number of parliamentarians was below the minimum necessary to maintain formal representation.

The sectarian founded her own party, the BSW (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht), which seemed to threaten Die Linke’s survival. Especially because the new acronym followed the path of the great theme of election: immigration.

The reasons for the break of Wagenknecht with Die Linke are multifaceted. Internal conflicts on issues such as immigration, covid-19 vaccination and Ukraine Russian invasion have generated significant tensions.

In February 2023, a critical point was reached when party leaders Janine Wissler and Martin Schirdewan did not support a demonstration organized by Wagenknecht and Alice Schwarzer.

The demonstration in question was the “Aufstand Für Frieden” (“Survey for Peace”), held on February 25, 2023 at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The event was an unfolding of the “Manifest Für Frieden” (“Manifesto for Peace”), an online petition released on February 10, 2023 that appealed to Chancellor Olaf Scholz to interrupt the sending of weapons to Ukraine and seeking immediate peace negotiations.

The event generated controversy due to the presence of individuals and far right groups, including Alternative Party politicians for Germany (AFD) and figures known as extremist positions. Although the organizers declared that far-right symbols and flags were not welcome, the presence of these elements raised debates about nature and the direction of the movement.

The tensions culminated in Sahra Wagenknecht’s decision to leave Die Linke in October 2023. The departure of dissidents represented a critical moment for Die Linke, but also made room for internal reorganization.

Reorganization based on class struggle

With the arrival of Jan Van Aken and Ines Schwerdtner to leadership, the party underwent a restructuring, seeking to rescue its origins as a force focused on social demands. Inspired by the KPö (Communist Party of Austria) model, the acronym abandoned the dispute over the insurance speech, which dominated the election, and strongly invested in a class agenda.

The focus on the real estate crisis and the high prices of food and energy has given the caption a clear differential against SPD and Green, which hesitated to prioritize the subject.

Unlike BSW, which followed the line of hardening against immigration, Die Linke bet on accessible economic discourse and concrete solutions for workers. This was evident in the creation of applications and platforms that helped voters to oversee abusive rental and energy charges.

The approach brought a practical element to the campaign, facilitating the party’s reconnection with the base that was disappointed.

The impact of digital strategy was also fundamental in party reconstruction. Heidi Reichinnek’s rise as the face of Die Linke’s new generation has become a phenomenon on social networks, especially in Tiktok and Instagram. The candidate’s combative speech and the viralization of videos exposing neoliberal policies were decisive to attract young voters, many of them disappointed with SPD and green.

The party saw its likes and followers quintupup in a few weeks, which was reflected in electoral mobilization.

Parallel to the strong digital presence, Die Linke bet on a traditional strategy: the gate to the massive door. With more than 550,000 home visits, the acronym prioritized strategic areas, recovering ground mainly in eastern Germany, where the historically most aligned electorate had moved away. In addition, the acronym was able to bring new militants to its ranks, reversing the internal decline of recent years.

Another decisive factor was the party’s reconfiguration as Bundestag’s main anti -fascist force. With the CDU adopting a more flexible posture compared to AFD and SPD and green showing hesitation, Die Linke has capitalized the fear of an advance of the far right. The campaign reinforced the idea that only a strong left block would be able to curb AFD growth, especially after the Union’s decision (CDU/CSU) to collaborate on anti-immigration guidelines. This position guaranteed a significant increase in the support of urban youth and consolidated the party as the main pole of resistance to conservative advancement.

The reorganization was also reflected in the militancy profile. Die Linke has registered 28,000 new adhesions since the beginning of the year, driven by youth engagement and party growth among large cities workers.

Return to Bundestag and new role in the opposition

With the new result, Die Linke again acts with a full bench, in a bundestag that saw the rise of the far right and the fall of Scholz’s ruling coalition. The CDU and its allies gained 28.6% of the votes, while the far right of AFD obtained 20.5%, its best result in a federal election.

Bundestag party leader Ines Schwerdtner stressed that Die Linke’s victory is a sign that there is resistance to the advance of the right. “While CDU and BSW flirt with AFD ideas, we reinforce our commitment to social justice and democracy,” he said.

The party now faces the challenge of consolidating its position and turning the electoral impulse into a lasting support base. The strategy of strengthening presence in popular neighborhoods and involvement with social movements will be essential to define the role of subtitle in the future of the German Parliament.