After the Berlin House of Representatives election, left-wing politician and Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow called on his party to be more clear in dealing with controversial events surrounding the election victory. “Nothing that is swept under the carpet disappears,” Ramelow told the news portal “t-online”.
He was referring, among other things, to the Bundestag member Ferat Koçak as well as to the appearances of the clan boss Issa Remmo and the activist with connections to a Palestinian terrorist organization Ibrahim Ibrahim at an election party of the Left District Association of Neukölln. "Remmo's visit is one thing; he was thrown out of the election party. But when an anti-Israel activist like Ibrahim Ibrahim walks around and takes photos, that bothers me more," said Ramelow. He demanded: “Clarity must be made here.”
Criticism of “TikTok knowledge” on the left
At the same time, Ramelow opposed what he saw as a superficial approach to the Middle East conflict. There are people in his party who throw around the term “genocide” without having sufficiently studied its historical and legal significance, he said. He referred to the lawyer Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term genocide, as well as Hersch Lauterpacht and his work on the term crimes against humanity.
Ramelow is also critical of social media. Particularly when it comes to complex issues such as the Middle East conflict, very simplified explanations are often given. “There’s zero depth to it,” he said. Ramelow also reported an argument with a younger party member who asked him to resign at an event. He then wrote the man a longer letter. The only response that came back was “TikTok knowledge”.
At the same time, Ramelow threw his support behind Berlin's top candidate, Elif Eralp. The Left has “an opportunity like never before” in Berlin. He is annoyed with his party because, in his view, they do not sufficiently recognize this possibility.
"It will be a long, difficult process. This will only be possible with a lot of communication, and Elif Eralp can do that," said Ramelow. He trusts Eralp to lead the necessary disputes. If the Left wants to govern together with the SPD and the Greens, the strength must first be found to get everyone involved at the same table.
At the same time, Ramelow criticized the public reaction to his party's election victory. He spoke to “t-online” about a “campaign” against the left. He had a similar experience after his election as Prime Minister of Thuringia. “The last major demonstration against the left was the evening before I was sworn in,” said Ramelow. At that time, among other things, there were warnings that “world communism” was breaking out and that the Stasi prisons would be reopened.
Despite the current conflicts, Ramelow sees the left as politically established. In Thuringia, Prime Minister Mario Voigt cannot govern without the Left; in Saxony, this applies to Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Left may also become part of the next state government.
However, Ramelow also sees mistakes in his own party. The left too often pushes problems ahead of itself instead of clarifying them, he said. “Anything you sweep under the rug will only create a big dent that you’ll eventually trip over.”
According to Ramelow, he draws a clear line when dealing with the AfD. As Prime Minister of Thuringia, he also spoke to AfD politicians, for example when a hospital in Sonneberg was facing bankruptcy. “If I argue with him because our party books are not compatible, then that will neither help the hospital nor the local people.”
At the same time, Ramelow said that anyone who denies the Holocaust, trivializes it or calls it “fly shit” cannot be a conversation partner for him. However, he rejects the term “firewall”. The left-wing politician said he couldn't do much with the discussion.
What is possible after the Berlin election
The Left emerged as the strongest force in the House of Representatives election on September 20th. She received 25.7 percent of the vote. They were followed by the CDU with 18.8 percent, the AfD with 16.3 percent, the Greens with 14.3 percent and the SPD with 12.1 percent. The BSW and the FDP failed to enter the House of Representatives.
