Attempts of Sahra Wagenknecht, the leader of Germany's Die Linke (The Left) party's parliamentary group in Bundestag, to pressure other left-wing political forces forming her Aufstehen (Stand Up) leftist movement to make them change their stance on migration are unlikely to succeed, Gregor Gysi, a member of Die Linke parliamentary group, told Sputnik on Tuesday.
BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st August, 2018) Attempts of Sahra Wagenknecht, the leader of Germany's Die Linke (The Left) party's parliamentary group in Bundestag, to pressure other left-wing political forces forming her Aufstehen (Stand Up) leftist movement to make them change their stance on migration are unlikely to succeed, Gregor Gysi, a member of Die Linke parliamentary group, told Sputnik on Tuesday.
In June, the Die Linke party's congress voted for Wagenknechts proposals for a stricter migration policy, renouncing the party's long-standing borders-open-to-all concept, by a slim majority of 250 to 249 delegates. Following the vote, Wagenknecht faced numerous accusations of trying to split her party.
"This idea of a movement by Sarha Wagenknecht is reasonable; there are dissatisfied people also in the Green Party and the [Social Democratic Party of Germany] SPD, but you cannot decide something like that from above ... Sahra wants to pressure the left parties to modify their position on immigration, but I do not think anything essential will come out of it. There are basic values of the Left against which you cannot go," Gysi said.
The Aufstehen (Stand Up) movement, bringing together left-wingers to strengthen their position in face of the country's right-wing camp, was de facto created after its official website was launched on August 4, however, the official presentation of the movement and its objectives is expected to be held in September.
The Die Linke has stuck to a policy of open borders for refugees for years, combating what its members perceived as racism and xenophobia on the part of the country's other political parties. The official website of Die Linke party has not made any changes to its migration policy with the logo "Welcome to migrants!" still remaining on the party's portal.
