In the twilight: The Left Party in North Rhine-Westphalia. Source: AP
DÜSSELDORF. SPD and Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia to the FDP despite refusals to already successful exploratory talks Invite a new government. The Green Party announced State leader Daniela Schneckenburger on Thursday. should also address the left on a Friday Invitation to the separately held talks sent be. The meetings will as soon as possible, early next week Said to take place Schneckenburger.
The FDP, currently with the CDU in government in Düsseldorf involved insists, however, continue on a rejection of the Red-Green in a coalition with the Left. There are striking Differences in their opinions. So showed party leader Guido Westerwelle and the NRW-President Gerhard Papke a "Traffic light coalition" has the cold shoulder. The National President Andreas Pinkwart expressed cautious.
"Parties that deal with communist constitution opponents want to join forces, come not as a conversation partner for us in Question, "Papke said on Thursday, describing the FDP as already "Effective opposition" against a left-wing government. Westerwelle also saw at Bonner General-Anzeiger ", the red-red-green alliance are already: "There is a left-wing majority, and it is now suspected of a left Government of Social Democrats, Greens and Left Party in my Home NRW give. "
Conciliatory in contrast, showed the NRW state chairman of the Liberals, Andreas Pinkwart. He made it clear that the FDP does not principle to an alliance with the SPD and the Greens is. The Keep away from the left but was a condition for this: "Only when Alliances with left-wing extremists are excluded, the FDP-NRW open to traffic lights, like Jamaica, "said Pinkwart. "I expect that SPD and the Greens to use tomorrow’s meeting, with discussions between democratic parties in the interest of the country to make it possible.
The Greens, who practiced in the election campaign is always highly critical of the FDP have now trying to pave the way to the Liberals: If only it was so important to keep the left from the government, then had to the FDP, the offer of talks from red-green accept, argued the Parliamentary secretary of the Green Bundestag, Volker Beck. Party leader Cem Özdemir said, "Spiegel Online", FDP and the Left should move. "Both prospective partners have now ask if they form an alliance beyond the grand coalition of CDU and the SPD – to realize the election losers -. "
The Debate on the left in NRW has, however, and the Union in the Bundestag, called on the plan. The domestic policy spokesman of the Union’s parliamentary group, Hans-Peter Uhl (CSU), considers it imperative that at least one of the new left MPs will be taken in the North Rhine-Westphalia State Parliament by the intelligence target. "I think it’s right for the Left Party will continue to be monitored by the intelligence services, even if it is not in the rule for elected Members. But when a member of the NRW is a member of the Left, Red Aid ‘, then it must be placed under observation, "Uhl said on Thursday Handelsblatt Online.
Seven of the eleven-left deputies in North Rhine-Westphalia State Parliament are active in organizations that have been classified as extremist by the Constitution. The left-Member of Parliament Anna Conrad is a member of the "Red Aid Association. A recent assessment of the Federal Government, states that the purpose of this organization, "violent, left" to support in their struggle against the existing order and to strengthen. " The "Red Aid pursuing" extreme left, ie constitutional hostile aspirations "and frighten" even before solidarity with imprisoned terrorist perpetrators of violence, especially from the "Red Army Faction" (RAF) and not back into perspective by those committed Gewaltttaten. The "Rote Hilfe use" every opportunity, the German legal system (executive and judicial branches) as an instrument of "political oppression" and the "disposition to discredit Justice ‘". Similar assessments is the North Rhine-Westphalia Constitution in its report for the year 2009.
Uhl warned against this background, measured in the evaluation of extremist groups with "double standards". "We have gradually come to an equal treatment of left-and right-wing, both directions are unconstitutional." He sees with concern that the extreme left-wing violence is increasing more and more violent these also extend into the Left Party.
In view of North Rhine-Westphalia Uhl has therefore advised the SPD and Greens, they should think very carefully about who they had conversations. "As a coalition partner is the Left Party totally inappropriate," said the CSU politician. He recommended that exploratory discussions with the FDP. The rejection of the Liberals at a traffic light coalition Uhl evaluated as "defiant" after red-green had announced to speak with the Left Party. "The fact that Guido Westerwelle and Andreas Pinkwart of the SPD have made this issue an ultimatum, was not clever," said Uhl.
The proposed SPD and Greens exploratory talks with the Left Party also meet with the director of the Stasi victims’ memorial in Berlin-Hohenschoenhausen, Hubertus Knabe, bitterly. "The victims of the SED dictatorship currently pursuing stunned, as in North Rhine-Westphalia glorifier the GDR are socially acceptable," Knabe said on Thursday Handelsblatt Online. "Anyone who refuses to call the GDR as a rogue state and equating the Stasi with the Constitution, shows that he has learned nothing from history." The fact that SPD and the Greens wanted to look over it was unforgivable. "It confirms the prejudice of many citizens that the politicians apparently concerned only with items and personal power."
Boy also described it as alarming that the entry of the left in the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia in the public have hardly triggered reactions. "If a right-wing party 5.6 percent of the vote would have united to himself, would have existed in Germany rightly an outcry." Said the DDR researchers. The arrival of left-wing extremists in the diet of the largest state will, by "shrugging" noted. "Obviously, the alarm system of our democracy works not so, work like it should." Background is that for example, the top candidate and future leader of the group left, Bärbel Beuermann, the signatories of the founding of the group call "socialist left" is one in which the GDR is described as a "legitimate attempt".
Even the SPD deputy chairman Olaf Scholz expressed skepticism over the ability of the Left party government in North Rhine-Westphalia. "Our doubts about the ability of the government of North Rhine-Westphalia’s Left Party before the election, we have clearly expressed. These doubts are still entitled," he told the Hamburger Abendblatt. There were very many program points from the Left, "of which no one can imagine that you can realize it. And certainly not in such an important country such as North Rhine-Westphalia".
Scholz called for the FDP, therefore, to open for a possible traffic light coalition with the SPD and Greens. A party, "which has formed with the SPD from 1969 to 1982 a successful social-liberal coalition with progressive goals ignores the story when it sees itself only as a coalition partner of the Union". The FDP was doing a big mistake: "In the end it is the Gelackmeierte because the Union is looking around for other partners, depending on location." All parties would have to move when you want it to govern together. The same applies to the North Rhine-Westphalia FDP.
In the state election on Sunday had now ruling CDU-FDP coalition under Prime Minister Jürgen Rüttgers the majority clearly missed. SPD and the Greens in the parliament but also a voice too little for the change of power – it would need a third Party for it.
SPD top candidate Hannelore Kraft and her Green Party colleague Sylvia Löhrmann had on Wednesday on the common action advice. The red-green talks are expected this Friday continue. Force will be the first woman head of government in NRW be. Ruettgers and his Christian Democratic Union, on the face of major losses Election night with 6200 votes ahead of the SPD were want to but not admit defeat. Apart from a large coalition also would offer them a coalition with the FDP and the Greens. It was However, in this respect been no contacts, assured Open-State leader Schneckenburger.
