Executive Committee Meeting, December 3, 2017
Brief Information
The main issue of the ten hours long meeting was an open debate about an immigration concept. The Party Executive Committee (PEC) already by November agreed to hold such a debate after several Land parliamentary groups of the party already months ago commissioned the respective material. Representing the initiators of the immigration concept, Udo Wolf and Jörg Schindler introduced the draft. For the opponents of such a draft spoke Ali Al Dailami and Sevim Dagdelen followed by an extensive and controversial debate. This was only a beginning, the Party Board will present the PEC for the next meeting with a proposal on how to continue the discussion.
The PEC agreed on the resolution "Left Roadmap 2018" on the political planning for the coming year which lists important dates and projects of the strategic debate (e.g. on the matter of milieus and classes), on the development of the party (e.g. the integration of 13000 new members from the past two years), the preparation of elections (from European to several local elections), the debate on content (e.g. the Left Week of the Future from 13.-16. September 2018) and further campaigning. The resolution was complemented by a timetable for the most important dates of 2018. In preparation of further campaigns it was agreed to hold a campaign workshop by the end of January.
In view of the demonstration scheduled for 14th December 2017 in front of the head office the PEC, after an extended debate, agreed on the resolution "Take a stand against Querfront”. It further dealt with the current debates on the reduction of working hours and the failure of the exploratory talks of Christian Conservatives and Social Democrats. A protest was drafted denouncing the repressive judging against a doctor who had offered information about abortion on her homepage. The PEC reinforced its protests against the social benefits regulations (Hartz IV) which are currently - in the festive season - especially painful, since Christmas allowances are not provided.
Together with around 10000 protesters members of the PEC participated in the demonstrations against the congress of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party. The PEC thanked all those which supported the protests in Hanover, especially the comrades of local organisation Hanover and Land organisation Lower Saxony.
The PEC resolved - in line with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities - to honour four accessible LINKE offices and took note of several reports, among them one of the Youth and Students’ organisation. They are delighted to learn of great membership gains as well, the students’ organisation has even become the largest among the party affiliated students’ organisations. There were further reports from the Federal Committee and the European Left - mainly about the left European Forum in Marseille of November which has become an important part of the cooperation of European left parties and movemets. The Feminist Offensive and the Council of Elders reported on their work during the last months as well.
Nearly all resolutions of the PEC have been agreed under the provisions that there would be no snap elections. If that would be the case, all finances would have to be re-evaluated. Since state contributions to the party are not secured until mid-February, only a preliminary budget for 2018 was agreed. The convening of the 6th party congress from 8th to 10th June 2018 in Leipzig and the call for the commemoration of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg on 14th January 2018 were additionally resolved.
For the upcoming holidays we wish you a relaxed time to spend with your loved ones and a happy start into the new year.
In solidarity,
Harald Wolf