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Janine Wissler
Photo: Wolfgang Kumm / dpa
The left suffered major defeats in the most recent state elections in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia and failed to make it into parliament (read an analysis here).
"It's perfectly clear that these were very bitter election defeats," admits party leader Janine Wissler.
In an interview with the "taz" she now announces "some substantive clarification processes", for example on the question of socio-ecological transformation and the sustainable restructuring of industry.
However, Wissler also admits that her party has made mistakes in dealing with Russia: "We must be perceived as a consistent peace party and make it absolutely clear at the party conference in June: We will criticize anyone who is waging a criminal war of aggression."
"Self-critically" one had to state: "Even before the attack on Ukraine there were brutal wars by Russia in Chechnya, in Georgia, in Syria, the support of the dictatorships in Belarus and Kazakhstan, the ban on Memorial and the suppression of the opposition", Wissler is quoted as saying.
»Our criticism should have been louder.«
Wissler defended himself against allegations that left-wing politicians were sometimes perceived as "Putin's fifth column": "We were and are in no way Putin's fifth column," said the left-wing chairwoman.
“No one on the left condones this war or sides with the Russian government.”
You can "emotionally understand the support for arms deliveries, but I do not support this demand," said Wissler.
"My fear is that this will ultimately lead to more victims and further escalation." Such an escalation is imminent "if Germany and other NATO countries train the Ukrainian army on heavy equipment and thus become a party to the conflict themselves."
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