PoliticaHub Reference Sheet
The Left
Party · Printed May 16, 2026 · politicahub.com/party/the-left-de
The Left is Germany's democratic-socialist party, formed in 2007 from the merger of the eastern post-communist PDS and the western protest-left WASG. That unusual fusion gave it a mixed identity: part East German continuity party, part anti-neoliberal labor-left revolt against Schröder-era reforms. It remains the most system-critical parliamentary force on Germany's left, advocating wealth taxes, stronger rent controls, public ownership in strategic sectors, and a foreign-policy line markedly more skeptical of NATO than the SPD or Greens.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is The Left?
- A: The Left is Germany's democratic-socialist party, formed in 2007 from the merger of the eastern post-communist PDS and the western protest-left WASG. That unusual fusion gave it a mixed identity: part East German continuity party, part anti-neoliberal labor-left revolt against Schröder-era reforms. It remains the most system-critical parliamentary force on Germany's left, advocating wealth taxes, stronger rent controls, public ownership in strategic sectors, and a foreign-policy line markedly more skeptical of NATO than the SPD or Greens.
Source: politicahub.com/party/the-left-de
The Left
The Left is Germany's democratic-socialist party, formed in 2007 from the merger of the eastern post-communist PDS and the western protest-left WASG. That unusual fusion gave it a mixed identity: part East German continuity party, part anti-neoliberal labor-left revolt against Schröder-era reforms. It remains the most system-critical parliamentary force on Germany's left, advocating wealth taxes, stronger rent controls, public ownership in strategic sectors, and a foreign-policy line markedly more skeptical of NATO than the SPD or Greens.
Germany
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is The Left?
- The Left is Germany's democratic-socialist party, formed in 2007 from the merger of the eastern post-communist PDS and the western protest-left WASG. That unusual fusion gave it a mixed identity: part East German continuity party, part anti-neoliberal labor-left revolt against Schröder-era reforms. It remains the most system-critical parliamentary force on Germany's left, advocating wealth taxes, stronger rent controls, public ownership in strategic sectors, and a foreign-policy line markedly more skeptical of NATO than the SPD or Greens.
Party History
The Left was created in 2007 from the merger of the PDS, itself rooted in the East German post-communist tradition, and the WASG, a western left breakaway angry at SPD labor-market reform. That alliance gave the party strength across two very different political worlds: eastern memory, regional protest, and social protection on one side; western anti-neoliberal activism and trade-union left politics on the other. Later splits, especially the departure of Sahra Wagenknecht's camp, exposed how difficult it has been to hold those currents together.
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