Thanks to party leader Sahra Wagenknecht’s controversial statements on domestic security and refugee policies, many antiracist activists have declared that they will not vote for Die Linke in the upcoming election. Some are leaving the party altogether.

The anger is justified. Wagenknecht blamed recent terror attacks on German chancellor Angela Merkel, complaining about an “uncontrolled border opening” and police force downsizing, in quotes that bear similarities with the political language of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD).

But given the current political situation, abandoning Die Linke because of disagreements with an individual member, even a very prominent one, is the wrong political response. Die Linke represents a significant historical development: for the first time in over fifty years, a sizeable, pluralistic, socialist party is enriching German politics. It has brought anticapitalist perspectives to parliament and the mainstream media. The party’s platform and an overwhelming majority of its sixty thousand members make clear distinctions between left and right. In an increasingly nationalist climate, they support open borders for anyone and everyone in need.