Left: Amira Mohamed Ali sees the party as a struggle for existence

Amira Mohamed Ali

Photo: DPA / Carsten Koall

The Left Party has to fight for its existence in the new legislative period.

That is what co-group leader Amira Mohamed Ali believes.

"Yes, there is no mistaking it," she told the Rheinische Post and the General-Anzeiger.

"We have to be honest with ourselves and critically review the election results," she demanded.

The left had plummeted to 4.9 percent in the federal election.

It was only thanks to three direct mandates that she did not fail at the five percent hurdle.

On Monday, Mohamed Ali and Dietmar Bartsch again apply for co-chairmanship of the Left parliamentary group (read more here).

She predicted a difficult time for her group in the Bundestag for the next four years.

“We now have to do our important opposition work with significantly fewer resources.

That is a challenge.

To do this, we have to become even more efficient and concentrate on core issues. "

Mohamed Ali advised her party to rely on "time and independent expertise" when coming to terms with the election failure.

"Unbelievable accusations that are simply pulled out of the hat the day after the election or a few days later don't help."

Only 39 MEPs left in the group

Since election night there has been a controversial debate within the left about the causes of the defeat.

Frequently heard was the assessment that the voting behavior on the Afghanistan evacuation mission had cost voters.

The majority of the left abstained, but a few MPs also voted yes, others no.

Otherwise, the analyzes of party and parliamentary group members are inconsistent: some criticize that the left has tried to be greener than the Greens, others think that the party has offered itself too much to the SPD and Greens for a possible government alliance in the election campaign.

Still others see a neglect of Eastern issues or certain groups of voters.

The parliamentary group, which has shrunk to 39 MPs, must, in the opinion of the deputy parliamentary group leader Gesine Lötzsch, concentrate on one essential task: “It is now important that we make it very clear and very clear what is going to happen in the traffic light coalition in terms of anti-social issues.

The parliamentary group must use its common strength to counter the resistance. «The traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP are currently negotiating the formation of a joint federal government.

as / AFP / dpa