Stuttgart. Baden-Württemberg's outgoing state premier Winfried Kretschmann has warned his party against cooperating with the Left Party.
Green Party's Kretschmann quits race, slams Left extremism and unrealistic ambitions
"I am firmly opposed to any collaboration," the Green politician told Tagesspiegel, referring to Berlin, where the Left Party could potentially join forces with the Greens and SPD after autumn's elections to install its candidate as governing mayor. "One should not work with extremists," Kretschmann cautioned. While limited cooperation with the Left Party might be possible on specific issues, he stressed that a broader alliance was out of the question. "The danger of the Left Party lies in the illusions it creates. In the long run, that is no less hazardous than a direct assault on democracy," he argued.
Kretschmann advised his party to always engage with the full spectrum of society. "If we tried to outflank the Left Party with radical leftist slogans, we would fail," said the longtime leader, who will not stand for re-election in the March 8 state parliamentary vote. In his farewell remarks, he criticized parts of his own party: "The left wing loves competing with ever more ambitious goals. But we must also discuss how to achieve them," Kretschmann said. He urged a results-oriented approach: "In politics, success is what counts."
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