Ines Schwerdtner, co-chair of Germany's Left Party -Die Linke-, is calling for a political solution to the Kurdish question and further steps toward a lasting peace process. These include the release of Abdullah Öcalan and political prisoners, as well as a political perspective for the Kurdish movement.

In an interview with ANF, Schwerdtner also takes a clear stance against Turkey's military violence against Kurds in Rojava and expresses her support for democratic self-administration and the right to self-determination. She argues that solidarity with the Kurdish resistance should not depend on whether it serves the foreign policy interests of Germany or other Western states at a given moment.

The interview also extends beyond the Kurdish question. Schwerdtner, who was re-elected as co-chair of Die Linke following its party congress in Potsdam, discusses the societal shift to the right, cuts to social welfare, militarization, restrictions on democratic rights, and the criminalization of Kurdish and other opposition groups in Germany. Other topics include the tightening of European asylum policy and the question of how workers and migrant communities can organize together in shared social struggles.

I would like to warmly congratulate you on your re-election as co-chair of Die Linke at the party congress in Potsdam. Although the question comes somewhat belatedly, how do you assess your re-election, what responsibility does this new mandate entail for you, and what perspective do you see for the party in the coming years?

I am very pleased about my re-election and, of course, about the result. It confirms the course we have taken. We have succeeded in giving many people hope again and inspiring them to become involved in building a strong left-wing force. This is also because we address the concrete problems people face every day, such as high rents and social injustice. At the same time, we organize protests against the policies of the federal government.

Our party has renewed itself in many ways over the past few years. It is more vibrant and stronger than it has been for a long time, and we have gained a great many young and committed members. I am proud of that, and I look forward to continuing on this path. The challenges are significant: the federal government is pushing ahead with the dismantling of the welfare state and massive militarization. That is precisely why we need a strong left—in parliament, on the streets, and in the workplace.

A strengthened Left in a political climate that has shifted to the Right

Die Linke has seen a significant increase in membership in recent months. Nevertheless, Germany's political agenda is still largely shaped by conservative and right-wing parties such as the CDU, CSU, and AfD. In your view, is left-wing politics today largely confined to a reactive opposition role rather than setting the political agenda itself?

No. We have said that we want to bring about change even from the opposition, and that is exactly what we are doing. On the issue of rents, we are putting massive pressure on the federal government. We are also putting the question of wealth distribution—and with it, the wealth tax—back on the agenda: Who actually finances our welfare state, and who must finally pay their fair share?

We are putting the social question and the issue of justice back at the center of political debate. And we are speaking about compliance with international law, even when doing so is uncomfortable. A strong left-wing voice is especially important because the policies of the so-called political center, with their cuts to social welfare and exclusion, create fertile ground for the right. We want to show that there is an alternative: a politics that does not attack those at the bottom or pit people against one another, but instead ensures that life becomes affordable again.

Social protest under growing pressure

The consequences of the shift to the right are evident not only in election results, but also in the dismantling of the welfare state and restrictions on democratic rights and freedom of assembly. In a political climate in which social protest is coming under increasing pressure, how does Die Linke intend to fight for social rights and democratic freedoms both in parliament and on the streets?

We see ourselves as a bulwark for democracy and participation. This applies in the workplace just as much as it does on the streets. We defend the right to …