On December 5, Die Linke gained its first premiership of a German state. See this story. Die Linke, which means “The Left” in German, was founded in 2007. It represented a merger between the old Communist Party that had ruled East Germany, and some other groups.
Thuringia state comprised the southern-most portion of East Germany before reunification. Die Linke does not have a majority of the members of the Thuringia parliament, but the new Premier, Bodo Ramelow, put together a coalition that includes the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party.
I would refer to Ramelow as the “premier” (as is used for the head of the government in an Canadian province or Australian state, using a parliamentary form of government), rather than “governor” which connotes a separately elected executive as in the USA. Your use of “governorship” suggests a personal office. The Left is the largest party in a three-party ruling coalition.
Oddly the SPD lost 1/3 of its seats in the election, and only holds 12 of 91 seats. The SPD could have continued in a so-called grand coalition with CDU, which would have also represented 46 of 91 seats.
Thank you. I amended the post.
I would have thought – for as long as East Germany was held under Communist rule – that there was still a communist party of some type in existence in at least the eastern half of Germany. You don’t root out overnight, what the communists did for almost 50 years in this part of the world. Almost 2 generations of East Germans lived under this atheistic regime. Surely some of them still linger around.
Will Putin now *protect* the communists in the regime by annexing Thuringia ???
See the ongoing destruction of Ukraine.
Many Christians are not sure just what Mr. Putin is. Is he a “reformed” communist or is he “communist” nationalist?
Yes, the old Soviet Union is dead, but has all the totalitarianism gone with it?
I’m just as opposed to a nationalistic Totalitarian, and I am an international Communist. Both are the foe of individual freedom, including the freedom of multiple political parties to equally participate in the electoral process. We don’t fully have such in the good ole USA.
So how much better off are we?
Lots of MORONS in Western Europe and North America paid zero or little attention to Hitler in 1919-1939 and paid the very high price in 1939-1945 — about 70 Million DEAD worldwide in World WAR II.
One must pay MAJOR attention to the RAVINGS of wannabee and actual KILLER tyrants in regimes having major military power.
See what the occult folks have to say about Putin on the internet — i.e. ANTI-Christ III ???
—–
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
I wonder if the incoming government will bring back the feared East German Stasi (of course, under a different name).
Die Linke is likely to have any of its more crazy tendencies muted by its coalition partners, especially by the Greens. If Die Linke had somehow won the majority by itself…then whether they’d bring back the Stasi or not might be a more valid concern.
“The Left”–Isn’t that pretty much all the parties in Europe? Please hold out England!!
I have bad news for you Michael. Our Conservative-led Government was recently very pro-active in pushing the legalization of gay marriage through Parliament.
So where would that put them on the US political spectrum?
Thanks for post Richard.
The Green Party now is in governing coalitions in 8 of the 16 German states. The next state election is in February in the city/state of Hamburg. The Green Party is polling well in Hamburg at 14%. The Green Party is likely to be able to govern in it’s 9th state after the Hamburg election.
The Green Party now governs in more states (8 states) than Chancellor Merkel’s CDU (7 states).
The Green Party is Germany’s third largest party.
Winfried Kretschmann is the Green Party Governor in one of the German states. I am fluent in German, and translate Minister Praesident as Governor, rather than Premier. It’s more clear to U.S. English speakers.
Thueringen state elections were fascinating. Christian Democratic Union (CDU)- Germany’s second largest party – had governed in Thueringen for 26 years. The CDU offered the Green Party coalition talks. Schwarz Gruene – Black Green coalitions are common at the local level in Germany. In Hamburg the Green Party governed with CDU, and in Hessen, the Green Party is now in such a conservative Green Party coalition.
Thueringen’s Green Party first wanted to see if a coalition with the SPD, and the Linke was possible. Those talks were successful, and 80 per cent of the Thueringen state Green Party membership voted for the coalition by mail.
Now the Green Party Thueringen state cabinet ministers, one woman, one man, have large responsibilities. Transportation, Energy, Environment, Attorney General portfolios are controlled by the Green Party cabinet secretaries.
Latest polls show improvements for the Green Party nationwide.