Less than two weeks before the German parliamentary elections on the 23rd of February, the Left party is experiencing an unexpected momentum boost, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his potential successor Friedrich Merz promised not to cooperate with the far-right during their speeches in parliament on Tuesday, the 11th of February, which is likely to delay the formation of a government after the elections, according to Politico and Reuters.
The left party was considered politically dead. However, according to data, the party’s membership has suddenly increased significantly.
According to data published in local media, almost 23 500 people have joined the far-left party since the beginning of the year,
bringing its total membership to a record 81 200 – the highest since 2009.
This increase comes as left-wing voters mobilise against what they see as a rightward shift in German politics.
“People want fairer, more just politics,” said Jan van Aken, co-leader of the Left. “They know they can count on us.” Party leaders say the influx reflects growing concerns about the country’s political direction as conservative forces consolidate ahead of upcoming elections.
According to Tagesspiegel, the average age of new members is 29 and 53% of them are women. The average demographic age of the party’s members is now 43 and the proportion of women is 42%, which is likely to give the party a boost among progressive voters.
The Left party, which has faced discord and low support, hopes that its recent rise in popularity will lead to success at the elections. It now has an average vote share of 5%, enough to stay in the Bundestag. However, it has to compete with the new Sara Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) and prove that it is a strong national alternative.
Meanwhile, after last month’s clash between Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz, when the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) backed Merz’s migration and security proposal, breaking a long-standing taboo on cooperation with the far right,
both leaders have now pledged not to work with the far right.
“Never, really never, will we make common ground with the far right”, Scholz said, accusing Merz of breaking his word on the issue.
The AfD is second in the polls, ahead of Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), while Merz’s Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) bloc is on course to win the largest share of the vote. In the latest opinion poll by the INSA Institute, the CDU/CSU and the AfD got 30% and 22% respectively, and the SPD 15.5%.
“There can be no question of cooperation with the AfD,” Merz said in response to Scholz’s comments. He accused the Scholz-led tripartite coalition, which broke up in a row over spending in November, of contributing to the rise of the AfD by pursuing “left-wing policies against the will of the people”.
All parties have ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD, which means that negotiations on forming a government after the elections could be protracted.