The Quiet Rise of the German Far Left

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has enjoyed a surge of attention from international media after celebrating recent triumphs in the Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state elections. But in their shadow, another party that’s just as extreme — on the other end — is quietly gaining ground. That party is Die Linke.

Last weekend, Die Linke (literally “The Left”) became the biggest party in the Berlin state election, winning 25.7 percent of the vote. This is notable, as Die Linke is mostly known for once having built a wall that divided the city in two. Yes, Die Linke is the successor to the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, or Socialist Unity Party (SED), set up by the Soviet occupiers in 1946 to govern their occupation zone, otherwise known as East Germany.

JG

About the Author

John Gustavsson

John Gustavsson is a writer from Sweden and holds a doctorate in economics. He is Senior Editor of Nation & Citizenship at Restoring the West and a former adviser to the Sweden Democrats in the European Parliament.

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The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has enjoyed a surge of attention from international media after celebrating recent triumphs in the Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state elections. But in their shadow, another party that’s just as extreme — on the other end — is quietly gaining ground. That party is Die Linke.

Last weekend, Die Linke (literally “The Left”) became the biggest party in the Berlin state election, winning 25.7 percent of the vote. This is notable, as Die Linke is mostly known for once having built a wall that divided the city in two. Yes, Die Linke is the successor to the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, or Socialist Unity Party (SED), set up by the Soviet occupiers in 1946 to govern their occupation zone, otherwise known as East Germany.

JG

About the Author

John Gustavsson

John Gustavsson is a writer from Sweden and holds a doctorate in economics. He is Senior Editor of Nation & Citizenship at Restoring the West and a former adviser to the Sweden Democrats in the European Parliament.