7-18-05,9:03am
On Sunday, the special congress of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), meeting in what was once East Berlin, agreed to join in an alliance with the new, far smaller but dynamic Electoral Alternative for Jobs and Social Justice (WASG). Since the WASG agreed on the alliance over a week ago, this cements the unified organization, which is still a temporary arrangement for the election expected on September 12th, but which may well prove permanent.
The decision meant adapting the new name agreed on by the two organizations: The Left Party or the Left (Die Linkspartei or Die Linke). The sections in each of Germany's sixteen states can add to this, as they wish, either the additional letters PDS or WASG. The eastern states, with a tradition going back to their party's formation and transformation on the remnants of the old ruling party of the GDR, will almost certainly add PDS; the states in the West, with long-lasting prejudices against both GDR and PDS, will probably use the letters WASG. Both must soon reach agreement on electoral slates in each state, not always a simple matter, for there are still some disagreements and grudges around.
But the atmosphere at the party congress was overwhelmingly optimistic. The pro vote was 74.6 percent. only 20 were opposed. These were for the most part members of the Communist Platform, the left wing of the PDS, who feared that the proclaimed goal of socialism and principles they have been fighting to maintain against some leaders and practices they consider opportunist, careerist, and compromising, may be watered down or forgotten by a new united organization. They also had doubts about the most famous leader of the WASG, the former Social Democrat Oskar Lafontaine, who has taken militant positions on many issues, but voiced controversial views or words on the question of foreign laborers in Germany and the question of the use of torture (in a case where a police man threatened to torture a kidnapper to save the life of a young boy Lafontaine approved his method). He is accused of being an opportunist and a demagogue, but these are mainly the words of his enemies, who fear his brilliant oratory, his knowledge of the facts and his easy-going manner when responding to even the nastiest journalists. He will probably share much of the election limelight with the once very popular PDS leader Gregor Gysi, also a skilled speaker.
The other parties, but especially the SPD and the Greens, who fear the most losses to this new party, have suddenly discovered their heart for progressive positions – after seven years when all major parties approved cutting taxes for the wealthy while cutting benefits for the disadvantaged – the jobless, the elderly, the single mothers, those needing medical and dental care.
Whether this amazing change of heart will convince many people, whether they will reluctantly vote once more for the SPD out of fear of what the rightwing Christian Democrats and Free Democrats would do if elected, or whether they will defy tradition and send a strong leftwing party into the Bundestag as a real opposition is still up in the air. The politicians and the media are busy digging up dirt to throw at the new party, which will have to learn to work together – and fight back hard - if it wishes success.
But while President Köhler makes up his mind about holding the September elections – a year earlier than normal – the right (and the 'middle') are looking with anxiety, and most leftists are looking with optimism, at current poll results: the new Left Party is in third place nationally with eleven or twelve percentage points, and in the eastern states it is now leading party with 31 percent; the Christian Democrats have 29 percent, the others have far less. It looks like an exciting battle and a future full of new and unexpected possibilities.
