Next Sunday’s elections in Saxony and Thuringia, like those in Brandenburg on the 22nd of the month, may prove to be a matter of life and death for Germany’s Die Linke, the party of the Left. The decision of the two party co-chairs Jeanine Whistler and Martin Sirdevan to announce at this very moment that they are leaving their positions at the October conference confirms the criticality of the situation. Something they both admit.

“I am also talking about a case of survival for the party. We must show that we understood the warning shot, which was the result of the European elections for our party. That I understood it myself personally and I have to help prepare the party for the future,” says Sirdevan, who notes that the local leaderships in all three states were aware of this step.

The hope in the new faces

Jeanine Wisler admits that a new beginning also needs new faces. “Of course it was not an easy decision. We have thought very seriously about what will be the best in this difficult situation. It is clear that a section of the party wanted a new beginning at the level of political personnel as well.”

At the moment it remains unknown who these faces of a renewal could be. But is this change enough for the wounded party to recover? Of course not, admits Sirdevan, of East German origin: “We have defined a procedure for the election of the new leadership, which we will follow at the congress. It goes without saying that candidates should come forward with content proposals. We thus expect an interesting competition of ideas for the future of the party.” The aim is to strengthen his social profile again, which should not be left only with the stamp of “grumpy” and nostalgic for other eras.

The cost of breaking up

Die Linke is of course paying for the departure of Sarah Wagenknecht, who left with other MPs earlier this year to form her own “Alliance” (BSW). According to opinion polls, he is aiming for double-digit percentages across the former East Germany. The split was the result of infighting, which poisoned the atmosphere in the party for months and turned off many members and voters.

“Indeed for a long time we revolved around ourselves as a party, we had a lot of open confrontations, we experienced a split a few months ago and that of course took its toll, especially on our public image.”

Wagenknecht’s Alliance, as well as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), preyed on voters in fields previously privileged for the Left, such as social policy. Sirdevan declares himself … necessarily optimistic about the future, but also about the elections, which are now just around the corner. Especially in Thuringia, where Prime Minister Bodo Ramelo comes from the Left, he hopes for a decent result. A re-election seems difficult for him. In Saxony and Brandenburg the party is in danger of being left out of Parliament. In such a case the October survival conference will be even more stormy.