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Federal Managing Director of the Left, Tobias Bank: "It's not my personal style to publicly demand resignations"
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IMAGO/Christian Spicker
SPIEGEL:
Mr. Bank, the two party chairmen, Janine Wissler and Martin Schirdewan, actually wished for a different federal manager.
But you were able to assert yourself at the party conference in Erfurt.
How does cooperation with inner-party opponents work?
Tobias Bank:
Those two aren't my opponents.
We have known each other for years from good cooperation.
Janine, for example, told me before the party conference that although I wasn't her preferred candidate, she only knew good things about the previous collaboration.
We agree on all essential matters and in most cases we agree immediately.
SPIEGEL:
That sounds harmonious, even though you both belong to opposite directions in the party.
You belong to the pragmatists, Wissler to the left wing.
Suddenly that doesn't matter anymore?
Bank:
I don't belong to any inner-party tendencies, neither does Janine anymore, as far as I know.
Of course, there are discussions about nuances that we see differently.
But basically the party congress resolutions are the basis for us and we agree on that.
MIRROR:
Your party has had a tough few months: internal party fights, the MeToo scandal, election failures at federal and state level.
Can the left still be saved?
Bank:
We are in a difficult situation.
We must put the quarrels behind us.
Look: We have 95 percent of the content, but we've historically tended to focus on the 5 percent that we disagree on.
I want that reversed.
SPIEGEL:
Why does the left still need it?
Bank:
It is our job to draw attention to the worsening social imbalance.
We represent the interests of the people who suffer from the traffic light policy, the rising energy prices, the inadequate standard rates for Hartz IV.
We make it clear that the winners of the crisis, who are currently making millions in additional profits, must share the costs of social compensation, for example through an excess profit tax.
SPIEGEL:
Sahra Wagenknecht and Klaus Ernst are in favor of ending the sanctions against Russia.
Does the left need it?
Bank:
The left took a clear position on Russia at the federal party conference.
As federal director, I remind all party members of our decisions, sometimes aggressively and sharply.
SPIEGEL
: Neither Wagenknecht nor Ernst are likely to be impressed.
Ernst even calls for the commissioning of Nord Stream 2.
Bank:
We were reliably supplied with sufficient gas via Nord Stream 1 for a very long time.
We just don't need Nord Stream 2.
The problems lie elsewhere.
Both Klaus Ernst and Sahra Wagenknecht are very open to factual arguments.
MIRROR:
Really?
We have the impression that they are not particularly interested.
Bank:
Klaus Ernst is Chairman of the Energy Committee in the Bundestag and his function is, of course, to work to ensure security of supply for the population.
In this respect, it is understandable that he is thinking about Nord Stream 2.
However, this does not change the decision-making position of our party.
Above all, it doesn't change the fact that we don't have an infrastructural problem with gas deliveries.
MIRROR:
Now you're defending his position after all.
Does that mean that the chairman of the climate committee does not necessarily have to abide by the decisions of the left?
Bank:
That's nonsense.
Our resolution applies to every party member, regardless of the personal opinion of individuals.
Beyond that, I don't share his thoughts on this, I think their content is wrong.
SPIEGEL:
Ms. Wagenknecht spoke of an "insane war against Russia," which the Greens had made a priority.
Is that the new style of the left?
Bank:
Of course not.
That is the individual opinion of party member Sahra Wagenknecht.
You know our decision on this.
We strongly condemn Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which violates international law, and clearly name the aggressor.
SPIEGEL:
Some of your comrades aren't as relaxed about it as you are.
There were calls from the party that Wagenknecht should leave the group.
Not a good idea?
Bank:
That is something that the parliamentary group would have to clarify internally.
Nor is it my personal style to publicly call for resignations.
I'm talking to Sahra and I think her statement is wrong.
I expect her and Klaus Ernst to respect the decisions of the federal party conference and to refrain from contradicting statements.
»I can assure you that I make taking action against sexism a top priority.«
SPIEGEL:
Your Rhineland-Palatinate state chairwoman, Melanie Wery-Sims, recently left the party.
It's also about the MeToo allegations.
According to SPIEGEL information, the federal party had long been aware of the sexist derailments of a district chairman towards Wery-Sims.
Corresponding emails suggest this.
Why was there no response for so long?
Bank:
I was not aware of these cases.
I can assure you that I make taking action against sexism a top priority.
I myself was in the trust group in the party executive and think the topic is enormously important.
SPIEGEL:
The e-mails date back a year and a half, i.e. before your term of office.
Would you have reacted if you had known?
Bank:
Yes, of course.
We worked very hard on this at our party congress and decided on a groundbreaking motion.
At the first party executive meeting afterwards, we got the implementation under way.
We coordinated with the state board of Rhineland-Palatinate and it took less than twelve hours until the application for expulsion against this district chairman.
I very much regret Melanie's departure.
It must not come to that in the future.
