On a possible election alliance of the German Left
As is well known from the press: the German political scene is in turmoil. After another lost lander election in North Rhine – Westphalia, this time in the most populous German federal state and for more than 40 years a SPD stronghold, chancellor Schroeder announced possible early elections for September, 2005. This took all political forces by surprise. Although the concrete path to this date has still to be outlined and the Head of State has still to say his word, but the political parties have all started hectic activities to prepare for the coming campaign.
In fact, North Rhine – Westphalia was only the purpose for Schroeder’s step. Among the deeper reasons is the enormous loss of confidence the red-green government has suffered as a result of its neo-liberal economic and social policies, its brutal dismantling of the German welfare state, culminating in the thoroughly un-social Hartz IV law.
The PDS was the only party in the Bundestag which was from the very begin of the social and economic reforms called “Hartz laws” (named so in coincidence with the name of the governmental commission which worked out the reform agenda) and the – unfortunately - only two parliamentarians we have in the Bundestag voted against Hartz IV. Our party was involved in a wide protest movement against that, mainly changing to a broader outer parliamentarian movement in the East of Germany. But also in the west a new movement became manifest. Resistance to this course led to the founding of a broad alliance of left forces – disappointed left social democrats, trade-unionists, attac and other movements’ activists, former PDS members, communists, trotskyites etc. calling itself Election Alternative for Employment and Social Justice (WASG). This movement has started transforming itself into a political party with the aim to take part in national elections, thereby changing the situation that at the moment there is no party group in the Bundestag in principal opposition to neo-liberal politics of the government. The WASG party building process is still underway.
The question of a future relationship to the PDS was an acute one from is very founding.
There has been a tacit agreement between leading figures of the two formations to examine the intersections of their positions in various fields, to sound out the chances of their coming together over a longer time – at least till the original election date in September 2006. Now, things have changed. All political parties are under enormous pressure to decide about their alliances and partnerships in an extremely short time. For the first time the WASG has given a signal it could consider a future co-operation with the PDS in these elections and afterwards. Besides, Oskar Lafontaine, Ex-chairman of the SPD who left the German government as vice-chancellor in 1999 and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which chair he had been for years in the 90-ies, 3 weeks ago in a disputed protest move against Schroeder’s neo-liberal policies, announced his readiness to serve as a candidate, if a new alliance of the Left came true.
Also former PDS chairman Gregor Gysi declared his come-back into politics and was presented as frontrunner of the PDS in the coming elections.
Thus, unexpectedly, the chance has arisen to form a broader coalition of German left forces for these elections, that could quite surely receive considerably more that the necessary 5 % of the vote to enter Bundestag. Very optimistic polls even see this force as a possible third biggest force in the future parliament. This news has found considerable resonance in the public, with the other political parties and the media. Some speak of a historic opportunity to overcome the fragmentation of the Left in Germany. SPD and CDU are particularly upset, as a continuation of the present government course which is to be expected from the CDU even in a sharpened version in case of its predicted election victory, will result in further resistance of the people concerned and their organisations. Suddenly, they could have a strong voice in parliament, what is not the case now – the two individual PDS deputies notwithstanding.
Accompanied by enormous, sometimes euphoric expectations of parts of the public and the left themselves, delegations of PDS and WASG started negotiations on the possibilities of rapprochement and cooperation. As the elections are concerned, complicated questions have to be resolved: German election law does not allow election blocs like “Ulivo” in Italy. Only single parties can take part in elections. But the merger of the two organisations into one party is impossible during so short time. All the more so, as the WASG has not yet finished its party-building process. Both organisations have to avoid the risk being excluded at all from the elections, if there cooperation will be found in disaccord with the election law.
And it must be understood, that both parties are different, even if there are lot of common positions – in particular in the economic and social policy.
Therefore the PDS was and is ready to proof any opportunity to develop a new cooperation and to go all steps enabling us as well as other parts of the German Left to challenge the neoliberal course of German politics - from the Red-green government of SPD and the Green party – to the conservative opposition of CDU/CSU and FDP.
After broad consultations with jurists and political scientists, after thorough and detailed negotiations the two delegations led bythe chairpersons have presented the leading bodies of their organisations their agreed proposals.
On this basis the PDS National Executive meeting of 11 June, 2005 has decided the following:
The PDS National Executive Board agreed – under the condition of the a similar decision of the WASG party bodies – to the cooperation agreement of PDS and WASG. The main headline of that agreement reads: “ There are alternatives! For employment, justice, peace and democracy! Against the neo-liberal spirit of times!.”
Included in that is an understanding that
- PDS and WASG will within the coming two years be working on a new unified project of the German Left. <//font>
- If early elections take place in 2005, PDS and WASG will not fight each other. <//font> <//font>
- The PDS will open its election lists for WASG members. To show the new character of this project, the PDS will consider changing its name. <//font>
The responsible PDS Bodies (National Executive Board and PDS Federal council) are proposing – again conditioned to a similar positive decision of the WASG – to have an extraordinary session of the 9 th PDS Congress on July 17, 2005, to debate and decide on a change of the PDS name into: “Democratic Left - PDS ”
Thus, a considerable part of the German Left is making the first step on a new path. As they are breaking new ground, there are big chances, but also no small risks. Important principles will be not to deny the results of last years’ struggles and the grown identities of the partners, to find ways to compromise on issues with differing positions. The discussions on the underlying main political problems are still ahead.
After the elections to the German Bundestag – which will be probably take place on 18 September 2005 – a joint commission will be set up to discuss all further and future aspects of this project.
As the PDS – founding member party of the Party of European Left (EL) - is concerned, it is determined to hold all its cooperation and obligations in the international field fully intact.
Me and all other colleagues of international relations department are ready to answer all your questions and remarks if necessary.
