Mr. Walter, Brandenburg is experiencing a major economic crisis. The left remain stable in the polls at ten percent. Why aren’t you able to benefit from the crisis in the country?
Because we are not interested in profiting from the crisis. We want to solve the problems that people have in their everyday lives: Many do not know whether they will be able to pay their operating costs at the end of the year or the school meals for their children, whether a holiday is possible or whether the rent will continue to rise. I’ve heard that a lot on my pub crawl through Brandenburg over the past six weeks. Without the left, the state government would not deal with this problem. Without us, there would be neither the Brandenburg package nor money for the food banks. That’s why I think that in Brandenburg we have to concentrate on making people’s everyday lives better. That is the responsibility that politics has, especially in the current crisis.
But why isn’t the left growing in the polls anymore?
I think that this is mainly due to the fact that we do not present a good image at the federal level: divided and preoccupied with ourselves. But we were elected to make living conditions in Germany better and fairer. That is our task. People want to rely on us, they want us to be a social force.
What are you doing at the federal level to change that?
I talk to my comrades and many others and keep saying the same thing: this party is not an end in itself. Ego games of a few must finally come to an end. Not aloof in discussion niches, but daily work on site or in parliament – with results for citizens. Otherwise we will no longer be needed. We are in one of the greatest social crises in decades. That is why this self-occupation must come to an end.
In Brandenburg, people are leaving the Left Party because of Sahra Wagenknecht. Will you apply to be expelled from the party?
Sahra Wagenknecht has stated that she is considering founding a new party. Then let her do it or stop speculating about it. I’m tired of it now and so is the vast majority in my party. In any case, we Brandenburg Left will continue to do politics here: in this party and with this party. And people voted for us.
But shouldn’t you still throw her out of the party on edge?
Due to our history, party exclusion procedures are rightly complicated and difficult. If she wants to think about a new party, then she should do it. But then without her Bundestag mandate for the left, that would be false labeling. Ms. Wagenknecht currently has only one project and that is called “Sahra Wagenknecht”. I also don’t agree with everything my party sometimes does or says, but I then discuss that with my party friends. What counts in the end is that the thousands of committed people in this party work every day to make things better for the people in this country – in the local community as well as here in the state parliament. The people of Brandenburg can rely on that.
With her actions, Ms. Hoffmann questions the constitution and democracy.
Sebastián Walterco-leader of the Brandenburg Left
In Brandenburg, you are demanding the resignation of CDU Justice Minister Susanne Hoffmann. Why?
Ms. Hoffmann is abusing her office for a personal campaign, which she is waging against judges who have publicly criticized her labor court reform. This is more than a muzzle, this is unworthy. With her actions, Ms. Hoffmann questions the constitution and democracy. Twice the judiciary selection committee ruled that she was doing the wrong thing and that there should be no transfer. She failed twice before the magistrate’s court. Now that she sees no other alternative, she is trying to impeach him. You can say politely that she wants to bang her head against the wall. But I say that she is trying to get her way through autocratic moves. From my point of view, it is acting unconstitutionally because it attacks the basis of this democracy, namely the separation of powers. It is true that we have judicial independence and that a government cannot choose its judges. Thank God we learned that from our history.
The justification for the impeachment caused a stir…
When Ms. Hoffmann says that it would be difficult to transfer judges because they studied in the GDR, that is a degradation of East Germans by a West German minister in an East German state, because she is abusing her office and has to be fired. As Minister of Justice, Susanne Hoffmann is also Minister of the Constitution. And it keeps flouting the constitution. All of this is no longer a provincial farce, but is rightly making headlines nationwide. Mr. Woidke must end this.
In its verdict, the Judicial Service Court itself suggested that he be removed from office. What’s wrong with doing this now?
I’m telling you, this wasn’t a one-way street. There were also offers from the judges. Ms. Hoffmann could easily settle the matter by arranging for the two judges to be transferred to the Frankfurt (Oder) Labor Court. This is also what is logical and can be done immediately. But apparently the Minister of Justice wants to settle a personal score here – at the expense of the constitution, at the expense of two people who have worked as judges in this state for over 30 years and ultimately at the expense of the entire judiciary in Brandenburg. Is that how it should go?
The minister’s argument is that there is not enough work waiting for the labor judges in Frankfurt.
If she doesn’t have a crystal ball, she can’t assess how the numbers will develop at all. Tesla, the largest industrial employer in the country, is located in the area of the Frankfurt Labor Court.
You yourself were an honorary judge at the Eberswalde Labor Court. Are you perhaps a little biased on this question?
Because you have worked as a volunteer, you are not automatically biased! In this function you have to delve deeper into the problem, that’s true. When I was an honorary labor judge in Eberswalde for two years, I learned and understood what this labor court system means and how important it is for the people in this country. That’s why I’m so vehement in defending local labor courts.
One minister who has long been criticized is Education Minister Britta Ernst (SPD).
We all notice it every day: whether as students, teachers, parents or grandparents. This topic now affects all generations like almost no other. During our time in government, we started hiring massive numbers of new teachers and increasing the number of places at university. Today we see an education minister who completely fails on these issues, including daycare. Almost quarterly she comes around the corner with immature plans and Excel spreadsheets and tries to make education policy. How did one of your last crazy ideas come about, to cut jobs to relieve teachers? We can see that more people are needed in the high schools. Why are they being taken away? And it is not for nothing that a nationwide day care center petition has now started because it has effectively ended the day care center law reform. Yes, it is very serious, educational policy is not a vegetable patch where you can try out different constellations from year to year. This is a huge problem.
How should this department continue?
I observe that even their own party takes a critical view of this. In my view, it is high time to act. Ms. Ernst has repeatedly proven that she is on the wrong track from which she can no longer find her way back. She has bunkered herself in and no longer perceives any alternatives. This is a huge problem for which, in the end, the children and young people of this country are paying the bill. We finally need planning again, communication between everyone involved in order to solve these challenges. This is currently no longer possible with Britta Ernst.
We have the impression that Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke has not acted as head of government at all for many months, but has become a lonely writer at his desk to large investors.
Sebastián Walterco-leader of the Brandenburg Left
Does Dietmar Woidke’s cabinet need a general reshuffle? After all, you are already demanding the resignation of two female ministers.
It’s not about demands for resignation. This coalition is basically done. From the beginning we have said: This is just a census community, not a jointly shaping political force. Always steps behind, that has been the case for three years of Corona politics – with consequences to this day. The closer we get to next year’s election, these contradictions are breaking out more and more openly: dealing with refugees, dealing with local authorities, dealing with the PCK Schwedt, to name a few other topics. In this country, hospitals are being privatized further and private corporations are making money with renewable energies. Here we need a completely different direction: what we need for the future has to go into public hands. This is the only way to achieve economic development from which everyone can benefit.
And what about Prime Minister Woidke?
We have the impression that Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke has not acted as head of government at all for many months, but has become lonely at his desk writing letters to large investors, but no longer notices the people in Brandenburg. Standstill, unable to act, checkmate: that’s my impression. Instead of specifically relieving people with free lunch at daycare centers and schools or the 29-euro ticket for public transport, the lamentation continues.
Does the Kenya coalition in Brandenburg still have a future?
From my point of view, she never had: The Kenya project only worked at the beginning because there was a lot of money. There was and is no common, overarching political idea. An attempt is being made to hold something together that does not fit together politically. The Kenya coalition has promised a new style of politics – to solve everyday concerns and develop the country. It does the opposite: This state government is a government for billionaires. Here, problems are perceived with the utmost sensitivity and eliminated as quietly as possible, no matter what the cost. But you hardly hear the problems on the ground. All this shows that Kenya is finished in this country.
