Together with Alice Schwarzer, Sahra Wagenknecht writes a “Manifesto for Peace”. The action has met with criticism. On the occasion of the anniversary of the Ukraine war, the left-wing politician calls for a large demonstration – but her party leadership distances itself.
The Left Party remains at a distance from the peace manifesto of the party left Sahra Wagenknecht and their call for demonstrations for the coming Saturday. “After intensive consultation, we as the party executive did not adopt this call as our own,” said federal manager Tobias Bank in Berlin about the manifesto. He justified this, among other things, with a lack of demarcation of the call and its initiators to the extreme right, from whose ranks the rally planned in Berlin will be advertised massively.
In terms of content, too, Bank differentiated the position of the party leadership from that of the Wagenknechts and their co-initiator Alice Schwarzer. “We stand by the Ukrainians’ right to self-defense and demand the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops,” said the Left Party manager. Their “Manifesto for Peace,” which urges immediate negotiations with Russia but does not call for Russian troops to be withdrawn, was co-signed by AfD leader Tino Chrupalla, among others.
However, Bank also sharply criticized the policy of the federal government, which relies unilaterally on military solutions to the Ukraine conflict. The left manager spoke of a “tunnel vision”. Instead, he also urged the German government to undertake diplomatic initiatives to bring Russia back to the negotiating table, for example together with China or with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula.
In addition, Bank turned against demands from Defense Minister Boris Pistorius against an increase in the defense budget. Pistorius justifies this with equipment shortages in the Bundeswehr, but also with the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. “One has the feeling that the armaments lobby has moved into the Ministry of Defense as permanent tenants,” said Bank.
Numerous events and rallies are planned nationwide to mark the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Before the rally advertised by Wagenknecht and, among other things, parts of the AfD on Saturday, a rally for a just peace and solidarity with Ukraine is planned in Berlin on Friday afternoon.
Politicians from the Greens, the FDP and the CDU/CSU as well as numerous public figures are calling for this solidarity rally. Green leader Omid Nouripour wants to speak at the opening rally.
