Merger between PDS and WASG in Germany

[Nigel Irritable]

the idea that sav is the only, or even, the "main left wing opposition" is simply not true.

I don't think anyone is claiming that Socialist Alternative (SAV) is the "main left wing opposition" in German society. The SAV is an organisation of a few hundred members after all, even if it sometimes manages to have a much wider impact. It is for instance currently a very important part of the Berlin WASG, playing a leading role in that organisation's decision to stand independently of the Linkspartei.PDS if the L.PDS refuses to stand on an anti-cuts, anti-privatisation, anti-coalition platform.

the picture of the pds as being an authoritarian party with no internal debate is definitely not true,

I think most observers would disagree with you here. However the key point of criticism of the L.PDS is its right wing policies. Where for instance do you stand on the issue of cuts, coalition and privatisation?

the party has always had an internal left-wing opposition. the communist platform has always been both tolerated and accepted.

Perhaps I am wrong here, but as I understand it the Communist Platform is a small and basically irrelevant loyal opposition, consisting mostly of elderly Stalinists. Am I doing them a disservice here?

 

[Fisher_Gate]

The isl's take on the issue has now been published on the Fourth International website.

http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/article.php3?id_article=1076

[The isl (International Socialist League) is one of two organisations supporting the FI in Germany. It has a member on the national/federal executive of the WASG, Thies Gleiss, who fought the attempt to act bureaucratically against the Berlin WASG and the subsequent witch-hunt against trotskyists].