Sahra Wagenknecht is currently taking steps towards forming a new left party with a strong working class orientation and splitting from Die Linke. In this extract she covers a range of topics that will be vital to the new party. Space does not permit us to add more but it is worth pointing out that, contrary to the left mainstream in Germany she advocates a more restrictive immigration policy, arguing that Germany needs more skilled workers rather than unskilled ones. She also favours a German rapprochement with Russia, not least because Germany needs inexpensive Russian energy to maintain its industrial base which is rapidly being eroded. The German economy, according to Wagenknecht needs to function along the value chain, from the processing of raw materials right through to high quality manufactured goods. Only such a strong manufacturing economy can support the service sector of the economy.

In her weekly Newsletter 26/10/23 Sahra Wagenknecht said:

“Many people in our country have lost confidence in politics and no longer feel represented by any of the existing parties. We have now decided to found a new party to put pressure on the government and to enforce responsible policies for economic sanity, social justice, peace and freedom. To prepare the party foundation, which is planned for January 2024, we use the association Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht – For Reason and Justice.

A new party can only be successful if it is supported by many. Since we have decided for a slow and controlled growth, it will not be possible for the time being to join the party – which does not even exist yet – or even the association.  But donations are welcome.  The new party can’t and won’t attract thousands of people initially.”

The Newsletter includes a link to a Question and Answer about policy, extracts are translated  below:

What counts for us as a ‘strong social state?

A strong welfare state not only ensures that no one in Germany lives in poverty, but also that the standard of living is secured in the event of strokes of fate such as illness or unemployment through no fault of one’s own, as well as in old age. Daycare places and good schools­­­­­­­ must be available for everyone. Housing, water and energy supply, health care close to home and mobility services should primarily be provided by non-profit providers.

How do we create and maintain secure well-paid jobs?

It should once again be normal to be able to make a good living from good work and for employees to have secure prospects. This is another reason why the industrial base of the German economy must be preserved, because industrial jobs pay above average wages in the majority of cases. In contrast, temporary work, fixed-term contracts, low wages and poor working conditions are particularly widespread in the service sectors. We will not accept this. Fixed-term contracts should no longer be permitted. Temporary workers must be paid at least the same wages as those in the industries in which they are employed. Collective bargaining agreements must be strengthened again, and the best way to do this would be to make them generally binding. However, to achieve this, all companies, even smaller ones, must be put in a position to pay collectively agreed wages. If company management obstructs the formation of works councils, this must not be tolerated. There must be an end to companies like Amazon raking in billions in profits while at the same time exploiting their employees in an intolerable manner. Likewise, all healthcare workers finally need tangible support and better wages and working conditions, instead of hollow promises and inconsequential applause.

What do we mean by reliable security in cases of illness, unemployment  and old age?

All people in Germany must have access to good medical care, regardless of their financial means. We reject the current 2-tier medical system. Good care also includes having a hospital within easy reach. Pensions must secure the standard of living and in any case protect against poverty in old age. In the case of unemployment, the duration of payments and previous income must be decisive for the level of benefits. Entitlement to a corresponding unemployment benefit exists until the person concerned has been offered a new job that corresponds to his or her qualifications and, if possible, is paid according to collective agreements. If qualifications are lacking or no longer in demand, meaningful qualifications must be offered.

How will we improve our education system?

The austerity measures of recent decades have turned the German education system into one of the worst in Europe. Children, teachers and parents are suffering as a result. We demand standardized curricula and qualifications in all 16 German states, as well as longer periods of shared learning for all children. The federal government must support the states in renovating ailing schools and combating the shortage of teachers. Above all, this means more money for teaching positions. In addition, the attractiveness of the teaching profession must be increased and the number of students in classes reduced. This applies especially to elementary schools in poorer residential districts. We call for at least a mandatory preschool year to address language deficits before children start school. Education must be available free of charge and of high quality. All children must be given the opportunity to develop their talents and obtain good vocational or academic qualifications. This requires special support for highly gifted children as well as intensive support for children with learning difficulties. We want to strengthen the dual training system again [apprenticeships with day release at college] and encourage high school graduates to opt for scientific and technical courses of study.

What is our position on Cancel Culture and the pressure towards Conformity?

It undermines our democracy when the public flow of opinion narrows more and more and an open exchange – even of controversial opinions – is less and less possible. Unfortunately, we are seeing the so-called cancel culture taking over more and more space and the pressure on individuals to subordinate themselves to a certain opinion in order not to be singled out and defamed. This was particularly extreme during the Covid pandemic, but we are also experiencing it in the debate about the right way to end the Ukraine war and on other issues. We do not accept this. We are committed to ensuring that no one has to be afraid to express their opinion, even if it does not correspond to the opinion published via the leading media.

What do we mean by a new era of tolerance on the international level? 

We rely on understanding and reconciliation of interests between states on the basis of international law. It is not our business to lecture other peoples, nor to treat them as inferiors This means that we recognize that countries can have legitimate interests even if their government or form of rule do not conform to our ideas and values. History has shown that trade and economic exchange can help maintain peace. Binding, fair treaties and respectful dealings in international politics can create the conditions for disarmament and common security.

For a Strong and Innovative Economy.

Our country still has a solid industrial base and a successful, innovative Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) sector. But general conditions have deteriorated dramatically in recent years. Our public infrastructure is in a disgraceful condition for a leading industrial country. Hardly any trains run on time, patients on public health insurance wait months for an appointment with a specialist, thousands of teachers, day-care places and flats are missing. Dilapidated roads and bridges, dead spots and slow internet, overburdened administrations and useless regulations make life difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises in particular. The German school system, with 16 different curricula, classes that are far too large and too early selection, denies children from less well-off families educational and life opportunities and at the same time fails in the task of training the skilled workers urgently needed by the economy. Since the Russian sanctions and alleged climate policy have made energy suddenly more expensive, our country is threatened with the loss of important industries and hundreds of thousands of well-paid jobs. Many companies are considering relocating their production abroad. Others may go out of business altogether.

Politics influenced and bought by corporations and the failure of antitrust authorities have created a market economy in which many markets no longer function. Dominant large corporations, overbearing financial groups like Blackrock and encroaching digital monopolies like Amazon, Alphabet, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple have emerged, imposing their toll on all other market participants, undermining competition and destroying democracy. To a considerable extent, the current inflation is also the result of market failure caused by too much economic power.

We strive for an innovative economy with fair competition, well-paid secure jobs, a high share of industrial value added, a fair tax system and a strong middle class. To achieve this, we want to limit market power and unbundle dominant corporations. Where monopolies are unavoidable, tasks must be transferred to non-profit providers.

For a self-confident foreign policy.

Our foreign policy sits in the tradition of the German Chancellor Willy Brandt and the Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who opposed thinking and acting in the logic of the Cold War with a policy of détente, reconciliation of interests and international cooperation. We fundamentally reject the resolution of conflicts by military means. We oppose the fact that more and more resources flow into weapons and war equipment instead of into the education of our children, research into environmentally friendly technologies or our health and care facilities. Nuclear armament and escalating conflicts between nuclear powers put the survival of humanity at risk and must be stopped. We seek a new era of détente and new treaties on disarmament and common security. The Bundeswehr has the mission to defend our country. It must be adequately equipped for this task. We reject the deployment of German soldiers in international wars as well as their stationing on the Russian border or in the South China Sea.

A military alliance (NATO) whose leading power has invaded five countries in the past years in violation of international law and killed more than 1 million people in these wars threatens others and leads to defensive reactions and thus contributes to global instability. Instead of an instrument of power for geopolitical goals, we need a defensive defence alliance that respects the principles of the UN Charter, strives for disarmament instead of committing to rearmament, and in which members meet as equals. Europe needs a stable security architecture, which in the longer term should also include Russia.

Our country deserves a self-confident policy that puts the well-being of its citizens at the centre and is driven by the realisation that US interests are sometimes very different from our interests. Our goal is an independent Europe of sovereign democracies in a multipolar world and not a new bloc confrontation in which Europe is ground down between the USA and the increasingly self-confident new power bloc around China and Russia.

(The original German text is at https://buendnis-sahra-wagenknecht.de/faq/)

The title of Wagenknecht book showed on the image above means ‘The Self-righteous’ (or Virtue Signallers)

A demonstration of shop workers in Koblenz, Germany, October 2023