Executive Committee Meeting, April 1-2, 2017

Dear Comrades, at the weekend we resolved the leading motion for the election programme issued to the party congress in Hanover from 9 to 11 June. In a focused debate we resolved the present amendments from the party executive for the first motion draft.

Leading motion for federal election programme agreed: Social. Just. For everyone.

Party co-chairs Katja and Bernd presented the core demands from the election programme at a press conference.

In short: We want to increase the minimum wage to 12 euro and secure work with higher wages instead of precarious jobs. We want dignity instead of Hartz IV, and a minimum security of 1050 euro without sanctions. We say up with pensions instead of an old age crash: we want to increase the pension niveau to 53 per cent and protect from poverty by a minimum pension of 1050 euro. We want a solidarity based health insurance, one for all, where everyone pays in - for more staff in hospitals and better care. Flat rents need to be dropped and 250.000 new communal, non-profit social flats per year shall be developed. We want to tax millionaires with a property tax of 5 per cent. We want to raise the maximum tax rate to 53 per cent and at the same time clearly reduce the tax burden for low and middle incomes. We need disarmament instead of more money for tanks and military interventions of the Bundeswehr. We want to prohibit arms exports.

The message of the weekend: With our leading motion we get serious about social justice and a peaceful foreign policy. Our voters know what they get with us. We have practicable and recalculated concepts. We have the best programme for social justice and social security. No one is having a lead on us here. We have a programme for a fundamental policy change in Germany. Our contents and aims are clear. We confidently stride forward with our issues and look forward to a competition for the best political offer.

During the next days the leading motion will be published and sent to the delegates. The deadline for amendments to the leading motion is Thursday, 25th May, 2017.

The election programme debate on Saturday afternoon was interrupted to welcome the DIE LINKE spokesperson for inclusion, Margit Glasow. She reported on her work and the common goals of the working group for participation. In this contect the PEC agreed to offer an award for barrier free offices, bestowed after proposal by the working group.

The debate on current politics dealt with the results of the coalition committee last week and the debate around a so called traffic light coalition after federal elections brought up by the social democrats.

The upcoming land parliamentary elections in Schleswig-Holstein on May 7th and Northrhine-Westphalia on May 14th are of huge importance for us. Both Land parliaments need a strong LINKE. We want to set this important sign with great results for DIE LINKE prior to federal eletions.

The PEC spoke about the current developments in Turkey. The detained chair of the HDP, Selahattin Demirtas, went on a temporary hunger strike. Currently eleven members of parliament of HDP are detained, against many others lawsuits have been filed.

According to a report 33 civilians have been killed during a bombing in the war in Syria. German tornados have allegedely delivered the necessary data and aerial pictures for that. In this context the PEC agreed on a call to participate in the Easter marches of 2017. We want to set a sign against the plans for military build-up of the federal government and military interventions of the Bundeswehr.

Friday night, unknown persons have shot at the window of a LINKE office in Leipzig. Already before, this office and others have been targets. Shots are yet another step up in escalation. The PEC sends its solidarity to all victims of extreme right violence. It is all the more important to have a broad social mobilisation against any form of racism, to take a stand against dangers from the right.

The federal government intends to change the basic law to centralise the future management of federal high ways in a specially constructed society under private law. The PEC opposes these plans in a resolution. DIE LINKE says no to a Infrastructure ltd. association, no to the privatisation of motor ways.

The PEC welcomes a resolution on the admission of a democratic referendum in Catalonia on the status of the region, as demanded by a broad social and political majority in the region.