Germany's Crisis-Hit Far-Left Party Seeks New Leadership

Frankfurt, Germany: Germany's far-left Linke party said Sunday it would replace its leadership duo later this year as it battles to overcome an "existential" crisis following a series of setbacks.

Janine Wissler and Martin Schirdewan announced in a statement they would not be running for another stint as co-leaders at the Linke's party congress in October.

"I realise there is a desire in parts of the party for a fresh start in terms of personnel," said Wissler.

Their decision to step down comes after the Linke, which has its roots in both East German communism and the West German labour movement, fell below three percent in the June European Parliament elections.

The Linke, having narrowly scraped into the German parliament in the 2021 elections, has long been riven by internal strife.

But it was dealt a heavy blow when popular lawmaker Sahra Wagenknecht defected last year to form a new left-wing populist party, taking nine Linke MPs with her.

The Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) outperformed the Linke in the European elections, and surveys suggest the Linke will trail behind the upstart in regional elections in three eastern German states next month.

Acknowledging the turmoil, the Linke's executive board had on Saturday adopted a motion ahead of the October congress stating that the party was "undoubtedly in a dangerous situation that poses an existential threat".

The party "needs new perspectives and passion" to drive the "necessary renewal", Schirdewan said Sunday.

Wissler has co-led the Linke party since 2021 and Schirdewan joined her a year later.

Firebrand politician Wagenknecht quit the party after butting heads with senior Linke members over her tough stance on immigration. She also wants Germany to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Analysts say the BSW, which describes itself as both left-wing and conservative, is targeting not just far-left supporters but also trying to lure protest voters away from the far-right Alternative for Germany with its anti-immigration, anti-establishment rhetoric.

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