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Left Party Congress in Bonn in February 2019
Photo: Oliver Berg / dpa
It is shortly before 7 p.m. when the decision is made: cancel.
Two days and a good 19 hours before a new era should actually begin for the left, it is clear: the federal party conference planned for Friday should not take place.
It just does not work.
The number of infections is now too high - also in Erfurt, the conference venue.
The critical limit of 50 infections per hundred thousand inhabitants and week has long been exceeded there.
Just as the corona virus is currently rampant throughout the republic, hardly anyone could recently imagine letting hundreds of comrades, guests or journalists travel to the Thuringian capital for a mass event.
In the end, the unanimous decision of the board of directors is therefore not surprising: "We have made every effort to make a Corona-adapted form of the party congress possible," said Federal Managing Director Jörg Schindler later.
Ultimately, however, the assembly is not responsible.
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Final point: Kipping and Riexinger 2019 in Bonn
Photo:
Oliver Berg / dpa
But that also means: No historic decision this week - about a new leadership after more than eight years with Katja Kipping and Bernd Riexinger at the top.
The left are forced to wait.
Last week, the comrades had primarily discussed adjustments to the schedule and less about a cancellation.
First, they agreed to shorten the three-day party convention to one day.
In a switch between the party executive and the state chairman on Monday, the mood was different.
In the meantime, even the CDU had postponed its party conference.
What image would the comrades give if, of all places, they risk a superspreading event in the country of their Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow?
Especially since the party leadership has always acted as a warning in the pandemic.
No concrete plan B
Instead, the left now want to talk again about how to proceed.
They don't have a specific plan B.
The party executive board will discuss the possible alternatives at its meeting on November 7th and 8th, according to the decision that has now been taken.
It is precisely this question that is highly controversial among the comrades.
There are essentially three ways of choosing the new leadership:
Postal voting:
It would certainly not be an atmospheric but still a comparatively quick way to elect the board of directors.
Even if a postal vote would mean a delay of weeks or even months.
Voting could start in December at the earliest, flanked by a kind of online party conference.
In the best case, at least the closest management team would be determined by the end of the year.
But runoff elections could drag the matter out.
There is talk of up to 14 weeks.
Decentralized assemblies:
The idea is to divide the party convention.
At the same time, comrades would come together for smaller meetings in various places in the republic in order to minimize the risk of infection.
The delegates would then have to connect from the respective halls via video switching.
Advantage: At least a little more atmosphere and direct debate.
Disadvantage: the logistical effort would be enormous.
Regular party convention:
The date has already been set.
On March 20, the left want to meet in Bielefeld.
Actually, however, to choose or at least cheer for their top candidates for the federal elections.
So far, you didn't really know.
Now you could change the plan without further ado and put the election of the board of directors on the agenda in Bielefeld.
This would offer the opportunity to stage the decision for the new top comrades in a publicly effective manner.
On the other hand, the date would be very late - and the risk of starting the federal election campaign with arguments and arguments all the greater.
The differences were already revealed on Monday.
According to SPIEGEL information, party leader Bernd Riexinger and designated chairwoman Janine Wissler advertised internally for a face-to-face party conference in the spring.
Thuringia's left-wing head of the state, Susanne Hennig-Wellsow, who wants to head the federal party with Wissler, let it be known via "taz" that she was advocating postal voting.
In the meeting on Tuesday, according to the participants, Wissler again spoke out in favor of the presence solution.
The incumbent chairwoman Katja Kipping, in turn, is also committed to postal voting.
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Designated party leadership: Susanne Hennig-Wellsow, Janine Wissler
Photo: Frank May / dpa
There are many good reasons for one or the other position.
Basically, the longing for a face-to-face meeting is great among the comrades.
At the same time, there is concern that the number of infections could not be lower in spring - on the contrary.
But other things could also play a role: A live party congress would probably be an advantage for those who hope for an advantage for their own election results through their speaking skills and the spontaneous dynamics at party congresses.
People like Wissler.
The postal vote could, in turn, benefit comrades who do not want to miss anything.
People like Hennig-Wellsow.
Problem for the whole party
The bottom line, however, is that the postponement poses a problem for the entire party: The hoped-for departure has not yet materialized.
For the second time, the corona crisis is forcing the left to cancel their meeting.
Actually, the new board should have been fixed in June.
For more than half a year, the future leadership, including the federal executive who is also to be elected, is missing to make the party fit for the federal election campaign.
The time pressure is growing to develop a suitable strategy - especially in a contentious party like the left.
Much will now depend on how Wissler and Hennig-Wellsow deal with the situation - but also how Kipping and Riexinger behave.
Their term of office is now being extended unexpectedly.
Both had made it clear beforehand that they had little desire for such a situation.
At least parts of the party should see it similarly.
Kipping and Riexinger have come under repeated criticism in recent years.
Now the left is facing a power vacuum.
At least there is good news this Tuesday: The local health department in Erfurt advised the left against their party conference, according to board circles.
The rejection is no longer the sole decision of the comrades.
An aspect that could save those on the left from high cancellation costs with the operator of the conference hall.
Icon: The mirror
