German The Left to dissolve its faction after pro-Russian Wagenknecht split from the party

The Left Party (die Linke) faction in the German Bundestag has decided to dissolve itself on December 6.

The German leftists decided to dissolve the party after one of its leaders, Sarah Wagenknecht, known for her pro-Russian stance, and several other deputies left the political force, Bild reported.

Without them, the Left Party will lose its minimum membership of 37 deputies and will be disbanded.

Two new parliamentary groups are expected to emerge in the Bundestag: the remaining 28 MPs of the Left Party on the one hand and Wagenknecht and his supporters on the other.

Compared to a parliamentary faction, the group has fewer parliamentary rights and receives less financial support from the state budget.

According to the Bundestag, in 2022, the Left Party faction received about 11.5 million euros in state funding, and staff costs amounted to about 9.3 million euros.

In late October, German MP from the Left Party Sarah Wagenknecht announced that she was creating her populist political force, the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance.

Wagenknecht is known for pro-Russian views and for initiating a large protest against support for Ukraine in Berlin. In the past, she has also advocated for Russia’s return to the G8 to counterbalance US interests.

Wagenknecht also regularly opposes support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.