Berlin, Germany – Within the weeks main as much as the German election, Friedrich Merz, the person tipped to develop into chancellor, broke a longstanding, cross-party firewall that blocked cooperation with the far-right, anti-immigrant celebration, the Various For Deutschland (AfD), to push by way of harder migration laws.
Political strain had been piling after two lethal assaults inside a matter of weeks, reportedly carried out by males who had sought asylum within the nation.
Whereas the laws was finally blocked, the transfer prompted condemnation from throughout the political spectrum, together with from former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who, like Merz, belongs to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
In an impassioned speech within the Bundestag, the German Parliament, a visibly outraged Heidi Reichinnek, co-governor of the Left celebration often called Die Linke, lambasted Merz instantly for working “intentionally’’ with “rightwing extremists”.
“All this occurred solely two days after we commemorated the liberation of Auschwitz, two days after commemorating the murdered and tormented. Now you’re collaborating with those that stick with it this identical ideology,” she stated.
The speech went viral, with greater than seven million views on TikTok, and pushed Reichinnek to the highest of nationwide information agendas. Protection centered on the fallout, but additionally the social media presence and magnificence of the self-described socialist, feminist and anti-fascist who’s adorned with tattoos – together with an inking of the German Marxist Rosa Luxemburg.
Because the election drew nearer, Reichinnek doubled down on her progressive push, assembly with a distinguished queer influencer, posting repeatedly to her lots of of hundreds of social media followers, criticising Merz additional, and talking out about housing prices and the AfD.
The technique paid off.
Within the February 23 election, Die Linke polled at 9 %, greater than doubling its voter share from the final election in 2021, with a reported quarter of younger individuals backing it. It was the very best determine for any celebration amongst this demographic.
Talking to Al Jazeera following the consequence, Reichinnek, who shares the management with Soren Pellmann, stated it was an unimaginable achievement not only for Die Linke, however for everybody who stood up for “social justice, solidarity, and democracy”.
“The truth that so many individuals have joined the celebration, that lots of of hundreds took to the streets to defend human rights, and that we had been capable of attain so many new voters exhibits that there’s actual momentum for progressive politics in Germany.
“However that is only the start. Elections are necessary, however they don’t seem to be the tip objective – they’re a step in a a lot larger battle. The price of residing disaster isn’t over, social inequality remains to be rising, and the far proper remains to be a menace. That’s why we’ll proceed to be a loud and uncompromising voice in parliament and on the streets,” stated Reichinnek.
Commentators are crediting the 36-year-old for enjoying an integral position in Die Linke’s electoral resurgence following inside struggles. In 2023, one in all its high-profile leaders, Sahra Wagenknecht, give up and in 2024, low polling figures within the European and regional elections had many writing off the celebration.
“It was astonishing to see this rise of Die Linke, which appeared doomed to loss of life final 12 months,” Stefan Marschall, a political scientist on the Heinrich Heine College in Duesseldorf instructed Al Jazeera. “What occurred, particularly over the past mile of the marketing campaign, was that Die Linke was capable of mobilise a number of younger individuals. And Reichinnek’s position was necessary, her communication technique was very clear and addressed sure points, such because the excessive housing prices and the resurgence of the far-right, which many younger persons are involved about.”
“Up till now, the AfD had been unchallenged on social media,” stated Moheb Shafaqyar, a Die Linke member in Berlin. The district he’s energetic in, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, upended the Inexperienced celebration seat, a high-profile left-wing consequence nationally. “Whereas in Germany and globally there’s a scary pattern of younger individuals voting for the correct, on this election we have now seen a pattern reversal.”
East German roots
Born within the jap state of Saxony-Anhalt in 1988, a 12 months earlier than the autumn of the Berlin Wall, Reichinnek was thinking about politics and a good society from her teenage years.
“On the high of the record of issues that pissed off me are the Hartz IV legal guidelines (unemployment reforms), which I wish to abolish,” she stated in a 2022 interview. “Equality for girls is simply as necessary to me as efficient and higher baby and youth welfare and primary baby advantages that help poor households.”
Between 2007 and 2011, she studied Center Jap Research and Political Science on the Martin Luther College of Halle-Wittenberg. Throughout this era, she frolicked in Cairo because the so-called Arab Spring broke out.
“I used to be amazed at what individuals can obtain after they stand collectively,” she stated of Egyptian protesters.
She engaged in additional educational pursuits, together with as a analysis assistant on a undertaking transformation in Arab societies, and durations working within the social sector, together with educating German to refugees, earlier than she joined Die Linke in 2015. She grew to become a member of the Left faction in Osnabrueck in northwest Germany a 12 months later. Right here she took on roles corresponding to spokesperson for a self-described socialist, feminist, anti-fascist and ecological grassroots initiative.
She rose by way of the celebration ranks. On the state celebration convention in Decrease Saxony in 2019, she obtained the help of greater than 86 % of delegates, making her the celebration’s youngest state chairwoman. Two years later, she was elected to the Bundestag on the Decrease Saxony state record, engaged on points corresponding to pensions and youth, girls’s and household coverage ever since.
“An East German background remains to be an exception in Germany’s political sphere,” stated the political scientist, Marschall. “Her background in an East German working-class family additionally highlights that she didn’t enter politics from a place of privilege, making her engagement with social coverage points considerably extra genuine.”
The timing of her ascent as Die Linke confronted inside strife additionally helped her trajectory. A foul consequence within the 2021 federal election adopted by disagreements over its place on immigration and later Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine contributed to the departure of Wagenknecht and a cohort of colleagues, who shaped a brand new celebration, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) final 12 months.
Oezguer Oezvatan is the pinnacle and co-founder of the variety and inclusion company Transformakers, and the creator of Jede Stimme Zaehlt (Each Vote Counts, 2025) based mostly in Berlin. He stated throughout this troublesome time for the celebration, alternatives emerged.
“Wagenknecht was towards immigration and after she left, there was an opportunity for the progressive and pro-immigration voices inside the celebration to develop into larger and transfer the celebration in the direction of extra liberal immigration insurance policies.”
The opposite issue, Oezvatan stated, was the Israel-Palestine battle, which led to additional departures.
“There was one other window of alternative for human rights activists to make it a extra pro-Palestinian and Israel-critical celebration. To most people, this made Die Linke look extra progressive and human rights-oriented.”
Reichinnek was energetic on social points and fascinating with the citizens on- and offline.
“She is an genuine voice for social coverage due to her work thus far within the subject,” Oezvatan stated, “plus she was already seen as a social media star earlier than the election marketing campaign interval, and this undermined the place that politicians solely go on TikTok as a result of it’s an election marketing campaign.”
“She will get near individuals, and he or she appears to be very trustworthy and really frank in the way in which she talks, which we noticed within the speech to Merz,” added Marschall. “And that’s very engaging to people who find themselves used to older, extra managed and unemotional political figures.”
It’s a mode that has resonated with Die Linke voters corresponding to Lina Mueller*, a 34-year-old counsellor in a being pregnant recommendation centre, who requested Al Jazeera to make use of a pseudonym as a result of delicate nature of her work.
“Reichinnek stands for a youthful era of the celebration whereas on the identical time continues to battle older Left battles round social justice and anti-abortion laws. She doesn’t use methods to get extra votes from AfD voters in the way in which that Wagenknecht does. Whereas they each appear to be populists, Reichinnek comes throughout as very convincing.”
Because the post-election mud settles and Germany contends with a recession-facing economic system and a re-energised far-right, Reichinnek’s celebration has “a number of power in the mean time, and he or she’s one of many batteries”, Marschall stated.
In line with celebration member Shafaqyar in Berlin, the celebration line has an invigorating sense of readability.
“Reichinnek is anxious concerning the points, not private vainness and energy for the sake of energy. I hope it stays that means.”
