The situation in the morning: can these leftists make a state?

Today we deal with the candidates for the top left, the consequences for a possible green-red-red alliance, the Navalny case and the question of what actually became of the tractor demos.

Can the left rule in the federal government?

It is an old question, but it always remains new.

In the SPIEGEL interview she answered

: "

."

The Thuringian left parliamentary group leader wants to become federal chairman of the quarreled heap that the left has been giving up for years.

In Thuringia, the party is the prime minister and Hennig-Wellsow leaves no doubt in her first interview as a candidate that she would like to finally govern in the federal government. 

But that will not be enough.

Your definite dictum is

. 

Hennig-Wellsow's possible co-boss

could prevent that.

The Hessian parliamentary group leader and critic of government participation ("No higher being will save us, no God, no emperor and also no left-wing minister") has not yet said goodbye to her proximity to the Trotskyist group "Marx21".

The network is monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. 

Icon: enlarge

Susanne Hennig-Wellsow

Photo: Martin Schutt / picture alliance / dpa

It shouldn't be dismissed as dark red folklore.

At least that doesn't sound like a center-left alliance.

In recent months, parts of the party have repeatedly revealed their reactionary worldview.

There was the "Strategy Conference" in Kassel, where criticism of parliamentarism was indulged;

or the criminal complaint by some members of the Bundestag against the Chancellor for "aiding and abetting murder" in connection with the killing of an Iranian terrorist mineral by the USA;

or the insistence of many West Leftists and half of the parliamentary group on leaving NATO and withdrawing the Bundeswehr;

or the speech by parliamentary deputy Andrej Hunko at a demo against the corona measures.

Or or or.

with the left in this constitution

. 

The fact that parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch recently tried to decree his party's ability to govern (“The Left will never dissolve NATO”) is an honorable attempt. 

Icon: enlarge

Olaf Scholz

Photo: Christian Spicker / Poolfoto / imago images / Christian Spicker

But more fundamental clarification is needed for a government perspective.

The fact that the two possible chancellors of a left-wing alliance - Olaf Scholz and Robert Habeck - are reluctant to speak about the political prospects of such a coalition shows that neither of them have too much confidence.

For Scholz, the situation is complicated anyway.

He needs a credible power perspective beyond the alliance with the Union, otherwise potential SPD voters will not become SPD voters.

The fact that some social democrats are already lively talking about traffic light coalitions with the FDP - as in 2009, 2013 and 2017 - illustrates the strategic perplexity.

Incidentally, there is currently no majority in favor of a constellation with the left.

According to the polling institute Civey, green-red-red reaches 42 percent (the traffic light comes to 41).

Black-green is 53 percent.

• Left candidate Hennig-Wellsow: "To govern you need realistic and radical left attitudes"

The Navalny case as a litmus test

Icon: enlarge

Alexei Navalny

Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva / REUTERS

Now tell me, how do you feel about the Navalny case?

This question is currently

.

The fact that the leftists

and Klaus Ernst tried to collect conspiracy narrator points in the last few days is disturbing.

And a little cheap.

Both in the local election campaign in North Rhine-Westphalia and in the MDR, Gysi used simple who-is-it-rhetoric.

It could also be, said Gysi, that an opponent of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline had poisoned the Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny.

Because if you stage such a murder, "which is then blamed on the government, it leads to the deterioration of relations." 

It is clear, yes.

Note: Not everything that sounds halfway plausible corresponds to the truth.

Incidentally, since the withdrawal of the Realo politician Stefan Liebich, who is respected across party lines, Gysi has been the foreign policy spokesman for the left-wing faction.

That's symbolic.

• The case of Navalny and Nord Stream 2: Merkel in the trap of Russia

How do we want to eat in the future?

Icon: enlarge

Tractor demo in Berlin in November 2019

Photo: Hayoung Jeon / EPA-EFE / REX

Do you remember the tractor parades in German cities last autumn?

There were thousands of people smugglers clogging the streets back in the pre-corona period.

The demands of the outraged farmers ("Don't forget, we'll take care of the food") were quite extensive: from criticism of environmental and animal welfare requirements to general anger about supposed "farmer bashing".

Angela Merkel quickly convened an

and what had to come happened: a commission should be set up to pacify the conflict.

Today this

officially

starts

its work.

It is a fairly broad working group: representatives of farmers, trade, as well as consumer, animal and environmental protectionists. 

Their recommendations should be available in early summer 2021, i.e. before the federal elections.

But wait, what exactly is the goal?

Not clear.

In contrast to the coal commission with the coal phase-out, writes my colleague Jonas Schaible, the agricultural commission "has no specific goal whose terms it has to negotiate". 

So everyone will expect something different.

My expectation: the attempt to reconcile climate protection and safeguarding small-scale agriculture. 

And maybe we will actually once again become aware of

.

So that the classic, family-run farm in Germany will not only survive as an open-air museum in the future.

A little more mindfulness would do us all good - for the climate, for the food and for the farmers. 

• Future Commission for Agriculture: Under time pressure against the anger of the farmers

Loser of the day ...

Icon: enlarge

Andreas Scheuer

Photo: INA FASSBENDER / AFP

... is the

, "after the church the most important facility in Bavaria" (Horst Seehofer).

Because of the corona crisis, the traditional politicians' trial of strength cannot take place in Abensberg in Lower Bavaria today.

The rules of the game actually stipulate that top politicians compete in several large tents at the same time - and whoever has the most audience in the end is the (unofficial) winner. 

This year all of this is only going online and to a very limited extent.

The following lines up for the internet morning pint: Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer from the CSU and Bavaria's Vice-Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger from the Free Voters.

Scheuer appears at least in the beer tent, in front of a few listeners, Aiwanger broadcasts from an inn. 

Scheuer and Aiwanger have it no less difficult than the beer tent.

One is not happy in his office, the other is more and more forgetting that he is in office.

Cheers.

The latest news from the night

• Boris Johnson threatens the EU with a hard break:

  The British Prime Minister is entering the final Brexit round with an ultimatum.

  A deal must be in place by October.

  At the same time, according to the media, he is planning legislation that should cause outrage in Brussels

• "This whole situation leaves me really sad and empty":

  Tangible scandal at the US Open: Novak Djokovic first hit a linesman with a ball - and then flew out of the tournament.

  Now he has spoken out

• Jirí Menzel is dead:

  he received an Oscar and a golden bear for his films - and was banned from working after the Prague Spring: the Czech director died at the age of 82

The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today

• Party congresses under Corona conditions: "I don't know, is Söder still there?"

• Stricter requirements: The Ministry of Transport harassed sea rescuers

• Social psychologist on dealing with coronavirus: "We want to believe that everyone gets what they deserve"

• A car driver ran over a child in front of a school in Mönchengladbach: the warning sensors of her SUV beeped loudly 

I wish you a good day.

Your Sebastian Fischer