The result of the Berlin elections on 20th September saw The Left (Die Linke) top the poll, doubling its vote. The fascist AfD also advanced while the traditional parties of left and right the SDP and CDU saw their votes decline.
The political great moving right show sees Die Linke described as hard or far left. In reality its focus on housing and the cost of living underlines its politics as mainstream social democracy (or what used to be mainstream). It also supports Palestine solidarity although certainly at the leadership level mildly so.
Whether or not Die Linke will be able to construct a ruling coalition we shall see. The SPD and the Greens (who are well to the right of their UK counterparts) claim Die Linke is anti-Semitic. This of course is familiar to anyone on the UK left and the answer remains the same. Solidarity with Palestine offers no quarter to anti-Semites.
The increase in votes for Die Linke has come from younger votes, often voting for the first time, and those who previously did not vote. This is not of course the entire future of the left but it is a part of that future.
Kmflett's Blog 
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