This is an article written by comrade Alexander Kiknadze that originally appeared on the German Communist Organisation website. This article is a contribution to an ongoing debate amongst German comrades regarding the Wagenknecht organisation. You can find the original article here

It’s been a turning point since 2022. Germany aids Ukrainian fascists against Russia and supports the Zionist genocide in Gaza. Germany, according to its war ministers Pistorius and Baerbock, should become “war-ready” again, because “our historical guilt” requires us to “assume responsibility” in the world again: Germany should once again position itself as an independent player in world politics.

2023: A new party is formed under Sahra Wagenknecht, which criticizes the federal government’s support of the Ukrainian fascists (see rally in Berlin with Alice Schwarzer in February 2023), and the social consequences of this support for the German working population criticized and even dared to criticize the so-called Israeli war policy in Gaza as too “ruthless” [1] .

At first glance, this agenda seems like a strong oppositional voice to the cross-party, aligned “turning point” propaganda. We also often hear in discussions in the peace movement that Wagenknecht is the new hope for a “more sensible” policy in Germany. Even if you don’t agree with all positions, especially her attitude towards refugees, she is a politician who at least “speaks plainly”.

But how is it possible that on the one hand, peace activists like Heiner Bücker are being tried under Section 130 of the Criminal Code [2] and Palestinians who oppose the right to exist are threatened with deportation, there are bans on demonstrations and proceedings for sedition [3] and on on the other hand, Sahra Wagenknecht’s founding of the party is commented on neutrally to interestedly [4] in the broad media landscape ?

This article attempts to explain this with the contradictions that the “turning point” entails. He concludes that Wagenknecht is part of the reactionary development in Germany and not its opponent because she gives the answer to the crucial question that German imperialism politically demands from her.

Turning point and justice of opinion

The measures taken by the German state to implement the turning point are numerous: a €100 billion war loan (“special fund”) for the Bundeswehr is passed by the very large war coalition in the Bundestag and without public debate, and troops are stationed in Lithuania [5] and the federal government decides on a national security strategy [6] that is intended to orient all areas of German society towards war in the next few years. Ideologically, Germany’s historical guilt is the reason why it has to play a role internationally again: never again (Russian!) fascism is the motto, democracy and freedom in Europe must be defended and the new (Hamas!) holocaust against Israel must be prevented become.

Criticism of the social effects of the war against Russia, the question of the “appropriateness of supplying arms to Ukraine” or questioning the “proportionality” of the extent of the Zionist genocide are permitted and are also expressed publicly, sometimes more, sometimes less. [7]

But it stops at one point: restrictions on freedom of organization, assembly and expression, including bans, are primarily based on the question of the attitude towards the political action of the resistance . The moral ticket for anyone who wants to express themselves “critically” in support of Ukraine and Israel is the correct answer to the moral question: Do you condemn Russia’s “war of aggression against Ukraine, which violates international law”? Do you distance yourself from “Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attack on Israel”? Anyone who doesn’t do this will be repressed: demonstration requirements and bans, imprisonment, procedures according to §130 and §140 StGB and deportations are primarily enforced on this basis. Last year’s demonstration requirements included that “justifications of the war of aggression”, playing Soviet anti-fascist resistance songs, and flags of the Soviet Union, Russia and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics were prohibited. In 2023, the requirements are that flags of Palestinian resistance organizations, traditional baklava distribution events for the successful military operation and statements that legitimize Palestinian resistance against the Zionist occupation are banned.

In short: Everything is allowed as long as you distance yourself from the political action: everyone who does that is allowed to express themselves – for example, “viewing critically” arms deliveries to Ukraine and “questioning the appropriateness” of “Israel’s conduct of the war”. ,…

With this crucial political question, which is held like a gun to the chest of every politically minded person and activist, the anti-war opposition in Germany is divided – namely into no less a category than “legitimate” or “illegitimate”. [8th]

Contradictions at the turn of the times

The bourgeois united front against Russia stands – until now .

On the other hand, it is interesting to note that the positions within German capital towards Russia differ significantly from those towards Palestine – if there is anything to be read about them at all.

Right at the start of the military operation, there was criticism in German (big) capital about the vehemence of Germany’s war aims against Russia. An important factor for the competitive superiority of the German export industry on international markets was the cheaper production through cheap energy imports from Russia, combined with comparatively high international productivity. In addition, Russia was an important market and investment location for German capital. There were correspondingly critical voices, for example from the Eastern Committee of the German Economy, which – mind you before the start of the military operation – criticized a tough demarcation and decoupling course towards Russia. [9] So far, German capital is still united behind the anti-Russian united front, at least in its public statements. However, there are increasing numbers of voices complaining about the threat of “de-industrialization of Germany”, a lack of competitiveness of German companies due to increased energy prices, etc. [10] From the perspective of these circles, countermeasures such as imports of energy sources from the USA etc. and the subsidy packages as well as the desired energy price relief for German companies cannot apparently stop their “decline” – however one may evaluate such self-proclaimed catastrophe scenarios of capital. It remains to be seen how these forces will position themselves should there be an intensification of these tendencies in Germany and/or a significant political change in the USA as a result of this year’s presidential election.

There are no such positions in German capital towards Palestine. There are no economic relations with the Palestinians that would make it necessary for German capital to position itself contrary to German reasons of state. No questioning of the “proportionality” of the genocide has been heard from German capital circles. In contrast to the possible ruin of Russia and a complete break in German-Russian economic relations, a massacre of 26,000 Palestinians does not harm German capital. The political purpose of the reason of state – to shift the German guilt for the Nazi genocide onto the Palestinians – is entirely in the spirit of German capital. [11] In contrast to the anti-Russian united front, the anti-Palestinian united front is stable without major fluctuations.

The role of the BSW driving forces Wagenknecht and Dagdelen

Sahra Wagenknecht and her colleagues are involved in the division of the anti-war movement because they answer the crucial political question about the legitimacy of the resistance “correctly” – i.e. in the spirit of imperialism: the “Russian war of aggression” cannot be justified by anything “and the” Ukraine, which Russia brutally invaded, needs our unconditional (author’s note) solidarity” [12] . With such statements, she is involved in the division of the anti-war movement: activists who lack anti-Russian partisanship have also, in Sahra Wagenknecht’s opinion, forfeited their political legitimacy. In the peace movement we fight every day against this nationalist partisanship and the need to differentiate ourselves.

Wagenknecht and her future leadership are playing the same role in the Palestine question, only more blatant: Sevim Dagdelen recently wrote that people “who support the terror of Hamas (…) are a case for the public prosecutor” [ 13] and that “ Israel’s right to exist is non-negotiable” [14] . Wagenknecht also said elsewhere that those who abused the right to hospitality also forfeited their right to hospitality. [15] This was not said in the current context, but has already been said before, but it fits in with the racist speeches of other German politicians who demand the right to asylum only under the condition of commitment to German reasons of state, most recently Robert Habeck [16] and the CDU. Dagdelen and Wagenknecht are not only dividing the peace movement on the Palestine issue. With these positions, you are clearly calling for consistent repression against people who stand up against the genocide in Gaza – even the deportation of politically undesirable refugees. Zaklin Nastic (BSW) proved on the evening podium at the Rosa Luxemburg Conference 2024 that this is being demanded very directly and openly: She said that it was an illusion to want to treat all refugees in Germany equally. In a supposedly anti-fascist manner, which she considered appropriate for the RLK audience, she said that she did not want Turks, for example, who felt like they belonged to the Gray Wolves or belonged to them, “in the country” [17] .

Wagenknecht and Dagdelen, the driving forces of the future party, speak out for the German wartime government. They certainly address the social consequences of wars for large parts of the population. They even criticize German support for Ukrainian and Zionist war criminals. However, they answer the key political question that is asked of everyone who expresses opposition, namely “How do you feel about the resistance?”

Their positions on Russia on the one hand and Palestine on the other differ interestingly: there is no “damage to Germany” because of the support for Israel – because there is no such thing for capital either. The war against Russia definitely. Wagenknecht and Co. know that the position of German capital will be wobbly if there is actually a significant economic gap in imperialist competition. Or if there were a political U-turn in the USA this year due to Trump’s election victory and the country would be more “dependent on itself” again – i.e. on a resumption of political and economic relations with Russia and a more moderate course towards China – that is the opposite of the current stance of the Green-led Foreign Ministry. It is therefore not surprising that Wagenknecht publicly stated that he could imagine a government alliance with the CDU in Saxony, which, especially in the person of its chairman Michael Kretschmer, is known for its sharp criticism of the Green foreign policy course towards Russia. [18] For such political offers, she is even prepared to play the dirty game of pitting refugees against German workers. [19]

conclusion

The anti-war movement in Germany must be clear: Germany is not “unnecessarily aggressive” because the USA has too strong an influence on German politics. A Germany more sovereign from the United States will not bring the world closer to peace. Germany wants these wars and is therefore waging these wars. Pistorius and Baerbock are not “the stupidest government in Europe” [20] , but act as they consider necessary under the given conditions and with all the contradictions that this turning point entails.

Together with their NATO partners and their allies, they defend their imperialist world order, which necessarily continually produces (the same) losers. This world order lives existentially from the plunder and oppression of those who are defending themselves against it today. And they know that the political action of this resistance will undermine their rule.

The rulers in the West, and therefore Germany, have this political action on their radar. All moral and humanistic complaints about imperialist “foreign policy” are legitimate if one thing is clear: resistance to it is illegitimate! All relativizations of this fact mislead the anti-war movement if it really wants to fight against the warmongers.

The racist agitation against Russians and Palestinians, in which Wagenknecht also joins, at least in relation to the latter, is the agitation of those in power against those who politically rebel against their rule.

Wagenknecht and her colleagues are not simply dividing the movement; As has been reported here, they even support the racist waves of repression against supporters of the resistance.

That is their political agenda, they do not act “tactically” or are “opportunists” who actually have “something else” in mind. They do not take such assumptions seriously in their political agenda, which can be read everywhere. They are the social democratic co-initiators of the new era and therefore may already be a government alternative for German capital tomorrow.

As such, we must attack them politically; not later, when they have “exposed” themselves, but now.

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[1] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2023-11/wagenknecht-berlin-friedensdemonstration (last call December 21, 2023)

[2] https://kommunistische-organisation.de/stellungnahme/solidaritaet-mit-heiner-buecker-kampf-dem-geschichtsrevisionismus/

[3] https://kommunistische-organisation.de/stellungnahme/gemeinsamer-aufruf-freiheit-fuer-palaestina-demokratie-fuer-deutschland/

[4] https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/die-presseschau-aus-deutschen-zeitungen-7378.html (2.1.2024)

[5] https://www.bmvg.de/de/aktuelles/truppe-fuer-litauen-aus-nordrhein-westfalen-und-bayern-5699662 (2.1.2024)

[6] https://www.bmvg.de/de/nationale-sicherheitsstrategie

[7] https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/verhaeltnismaessig-oder-voelkermord-umgang-in-israel-mit-dem-gaza-krieg-dlf-51513f3d-100.html (January 2, 2024) https://www .fr.de/politik/baerbock-israel-krieg-gaza-hamas-terror-hisbollah-zivilisten-netanjahu-nahost-92764753.html (January 2, 2024)

[8] The change in the climate of repression in Germany towards a political culture of censorship and its reasons must be dealt with again elsewhere as a separate topic

[9] This topic cannot be delved into here. The KO is dealing with German-Russian relations in depth in its clarification work, the interim results of which will soon be published.

[10] Most recently in the FAZ editorial from January 15, 2024, which criticizes the traffic light government’s radical decoupling strategies as unrealistic and therefore harmful for Germany ( https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/die-deutsche-wirtschaftskritik -is-homemade-downside-of-energy-policy-19449605.html ) January 18, 2024

[11] See Klara Bina: FRG imperialism under pressure! https://kommunistische-organisation.de/artikel/der-brd-imperialismus-unter-druck/

[12] https://kommunistische-organisation.de/stellungnahme/gegen- Waffenlieferen- aber-nicht-gegen-die-nato/

[13] https://twitter.com/SevimDagdelen/status/1722628122993168438

[14] https://www.zdf.de/politik/politik-sonstige/mohamed-ali-linke-israel-gaza-voelkerrecht-kollektivbestrafung-humanitaet-video-100.html (last accessed 2.1.24)

[15] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/sahra-wagenknecht-zum-asylrecht-die-gast-rechte-a-1071614.html (last accessed 2.1.24)

[16] In his much-noticed speech, Habeck denied the right to protection from violence to migrants who would not distance themselves from “anti-Semitism” ( https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/habeck-rede-wortlaut-antisemitismus-israel -deutschland-1.6297311 ), last access 2.1.24

[17] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRcBFtgbOQk January 18, 2024

[18] https://www.rnd.de/politik/wagenknecht-halt-regierung-mit-kretschmer-cdu-fur-moglich-cf77cd8c-9828-454c-aaf5-1f6faee4473c.html (January 2, 2024)

[19] In November, Wagenknecht announced to Maischberger that it was impossible to explain to anyone that a pensioner only receives 1,700 euros a month, while a refugee would cost the German state 20,000 euros a year ( https://www.ardmediathek.de /video/maischberger/sahra-wagenknecht-talks-about-her-new-party/das-first/Y3JpZDovL2Rhc2Vyc3RlLmRlL21lbnNjaGVuIGJlaSBtYWlzY2hiZXJnZXIvMzgwZjJiNWQtYTU3MC00ZjY1LWFmNGItNmM3ZTI3OGUzOG Ni ) January 2, 2024

[20] https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/sahra-wagenknecht-wir-haben-die-duemmste-regierung-europas-li.264959 (2.1.2024)