The Left Pole

It is a tradition for the various parties in the Chamber to invite members of the press to parliamentary group dinners before the summer break, in order to reflect on the past parliamentary year. On Thursday, it was déi Lénk's turn, and the party took the opportunity to settle its accounts with what it sees as the government's neoliberal and authoritarian bent.[1]

For one or two journalists it made for a slight sense of déjà vu, since the Left had chosen the same restaurant as the LSAP had used the week before. Yet although the Left, like the LSAP, took aim at the government's policies, the message was not quite the same.[1]

David Wagner drew this conclusion: there had only been two of them as Left MPs, and they could perhaps have done more. Between them, they had nevertheless got things done and had acted as the left-wing pole in the Chamber. If the party emerged stronger, it would keep pushing positive, social and progressive issues with still more force.[1]

Wagner also underlined that it was on the initiative of the Left that the right to abortion had been enshrined in the constitution. "Contrary to what is sometimes said, this was not a purely symbolic contribution. On the day, one hoped it never came, when reactionary forces gained ground and perhaps a majority, that inclusion would prove far less symbolic, since it would then be considerably harder to strip away."[1]

Whether the ADR was the reactionary force he had in mind was not entirely clear. It would not have been much of a stretch to draw the conclusion, since Wagner had, shortly before, accused the ADR of racism, misogyny, homophobia and climate scepticism.[1]

Marc Baum argued that the Frieden government had come forward with the most neoliberal programme in decades. Even so, with the Left's help, the party had also managed to slow that policy down. He pointed to the pension reform, the debate on the national representation of workers, and other fights ahead.[1]

Two MPs. One restaurant. The same building as the LSAP's dinner, the same direction of attack, a different tone. The socialists said the government was not in crisis. The left says it is neoliberal and authoritarian, and that two people slowed it down. The parliamentary year is ending. The accounts are being settled. The left wing is claiming credit.[1]