Mr Schirdewan, you have a vest with a Yellow?
(laughs) no, I have not. Although I have a driver’s license, but I’m not a motorist. In the big city, you need experience, not a car.
And for the street protest, you don’t need?
I feel solidarity for people on the go at the Moment, against social inequality, on the road, in France, but also in other countries of Europe. The social inequalities have increased tremendously. The policy is based on, must also be addressed. It’s totally fine, if the people against the unacceptable Situation to put up a fight, you are always more likely to be brought.
The Left party politician Sahra wagenknecht believes, the yellow West-protests were transferred to Germany. How do you see that?
We should work in the European election campaign with protests. We need to with a rebel, a revolutionary campaign to try to reach out to the people. Whether the protests of the Yellow jackets are now one-to-one transferable, as I am a little skeptical. I don’t see in Germany the potential that every weekend tens of thousands to the streets.
How Euro-skeptical Left?
We have to fight for a fundamental change of policy on the European level, and have reached, on the Left, also a lot of. The Situation of whistleblowers has been improved, we fought for consumer protection initiatives, workers ‘ rights, against tax dumping by companies. We make a clear left-wing European politics. And of course, oriented so that as a criticism resonates to the prevailing policy. Of course.
The Left has made in the past, decidedly, also with Euro-scepticism mood. Before the last European election, the former party Chairman, Oskar Lafontaine, the Left has pressed for a debate about the Euro. The party is now less critical with the EU?
criticism has to be expressed, where it is entitled. We do, for example, when it comes to the democratic deficit at the European level, the influence of lobbying. Since it is necessary to put the Finger in the wound. Nevertheless, in the meantime, a shift in emphasis to the effect, that understanding prevails in the society that many of the political issues, only international resolve. And often also at the European level. We share the Left. We are talking not only of war and peace, or climate change, who wants to solve because on the national level? We also have to consider that transnational corporations are Bouncing hundreds of billions of euros annually. The must be entered by an international tax system. The work of the trade unions needs to be internationalized.
The EU has saved the banks and does little for the people – right or wrong?
Absolutely correct.
Many of the rights of parties with anti-European sentiment. How big is the risk that The device Left here in a kind of outdoing the competition?
This is a risk I don’t see at all. Our criticism of the EU is fundamentally different from the one expressed by the right side. We defend democratic values, civic values rights and Freedom. Our approach is always the one of international solidarity. We are clearly opposed to racism and nationalism back on the scene. That the rights of Europe could gain power and perhaps even political assertiveness that Worries me.
What fear specifically?
even now, about 20 percent of the parliamentarians of Europe beyond the conservative members are hostile to right-wing parties. Since there are at the Moment Trying to collect, mainly initiated by the US-American journalist Stephen Bannon. The Lega Nord politicians Salvini has joined Hungary’s President Orban sympathizes. Others, such as the FPÖ-Chef Strache, which will be regarded here in Germany the AfD as a natural ally, want to join apparently. If it is the Right to succeed, to work in the next European Parliament, with a large common group, threatens a further shift to the right, also in the practical policy of the EU.
What will be the role of the theme of refugees in the election campaign? How do you position yourself in this debate, which has engaged The Left-hand internally again and again, personally?
There will be Attempts of just the right to exploit the theme and Refugees designated as scapegoats. I think that The Left has developed as a party, a good Position: We advocate an open and caring society. This includes the combat flight causes as well as Advocating for the open escape corridors, so people do not stay their fatal fate.
The party’s Executive Committee, has defused at the weekend, the draft European election program. It is the Passage, according to the principles of the EU “militaristic, neo-liberal and undemocratic” are missing now. It will give the Congress still debates whether the criticism of the EU does not need to be defined more clearly?
The discussion of the party’s Board of Directors was very constructive. Accordingly, I expect for the party. That there are in the party, different facets in the point of view of the European Integration, that’s for sure. This is a democratic Shop.
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Matthias Meisner
Martin Schirdewan (43) is designated top candidate of the left party for the European elections – together with the NRW-politician, Özlem Demirel. Officially selected to be on the weekend in Bonn. Schirdewan a, was for the party-affiliated Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Brussels, Athens and Madrid, and moved in the fall of 2017 – as the successor to the in the Bundestag selected Fabio de Masi – the position of successor to the European Parliament. Martin Schirdewan is the grandson of the KPD/SED politician Karl Schirdewan.
