Luigi Pantisano, the candidate for the leadership of the Left Party (Die Linke) at the upcoming party convention in Potsdam, has stated that he is prepared to cooperate with the CDU following the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, provided that this partnership helps prevent the AfD from gaining any form of governmental participation. Speaking to “Redaktionetzwerk Deutschland,” Pantisano emphasized that the party’s paramount objective must be stopping “fascists” from coming to power in Saxony-Anhalt, declaring that Die Linke will do whatever it takes, including preventing the CDU from forming a coalition with the AfD.
However, Pantisano added that cooperation with the CDU is not necessarily the only option. He pointed out that in Thuringia and Saxony, models of consultation already exist where his party’s assistance has led to majorities without Die Linke having to be part of the government. He warned that a CDU-Left coalition runs the risk of validating the AfD’s narrative that all other parties are essentially the same, which could allow the AfD to secure an absolute majority next time around. “We are stuck in this dilemma,” he conceded.
In the lead-up to the September 6th state election, the AfD currently holds a significant lead over the CDU in polls, while Die Linke ranks third. Depending on how other parties perform, Pantisano acknowledged that a cooperation between the CDU and the Left Party might become unavoidable if they want to keep the AfD out of government.
Pantisano also made it clear that the Left Party would only accept governmental roles if it could successfully implement its policies. Reiterating their motto for the federal election, he stated to the RND, “Everyone wants to govern. We want to change. That remains our principle.”
