DIE LINKE’s Road to Power: An Interview with Bernd Riexinger
Bernd Riexinger, co-chair of Germany's Left Party, talks about socialist strategy in the twenty-first century.
On May 28, Jacobin and the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung–New York Office are hosting a public discussion on the future of the European Left between Bernd Riexinger, co-chair of Germany’s Left Party (DIE LINKE), and SYRIZA strategist Elena Papadopoulou.
In this interview, Bernd Riexinger talks about strategic challenges facing DIE LINKE. Citing Rosa Luxemburg’s idea of “revolutionary Realpolitik,” he examines the current situation and lays out strategic ideas for the future. The interviewer, Luigi Wolf, starts by going back to the legacy of the “united front strategy,” which was established by the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) in the 1920s, and then shifts to the challenges DIE LINKE currently faces.
Elena Papadopoulou
The united front is actually the core concept behind Rosa Luxemburg’s notion of “revolutionary Realpolitik,” but it has been largely forgotten. I think it is important to revive the idea of the united front, but without ignoring the differences between the 1920s and today’s society. The reason for this is that the united front was a revolutionary communist party’s answer to the question of how to become a mass party.
Bernd Riexinger
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