The co-leader of Germany’s Left Party, Jan van Aken, has signaled a sharpened focus on opposition politics, asserting that societal change requires significant public and political pressure. In a recent interview, van Aken announced a nationwide campaign centered on addressing rising rental costs, with a key objective of implementing a national rent control policy. The party intends to provide localized support to tenants seeking rent reductions.
Looking at the recent failed attempt to elect a Constitutional Court judge in the Bundestag, van Aken expressed willingness to engage in discussions with the conservative Union bloc. However, he stipulated that his party must retain the right to propose its own candidates as a pre-condition for any agreement. The election of judges to Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court requires a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag, creating a situation where the votes of the Left Party, or alternatively the Alternative for Germany (AfD), are crucial.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, van Aken cautioned against over-reliance on the United States by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders. He specifically referenced instances where the previous US administration, under former President Trump, made offers to Russia’s Putin that proved unsustainable, citing potential territorial concessions as an example. Van Aken characterized the recent meeting between Trump and Putin as not genuinely focused on peace negotiations.
