State elections in Hamburg | State elections in Hamburg: Left ahoy!

Heike Sudmann experienced it at information stands and in her daily work: "In Hamburg, too, it has been noticeable for some time that many people think Die Linke is good and necessary ." The fact that the party cracked the five percent hurdle in the federal election therefore no longer surprised the co-leading candidate of the Hamburg Left for the state election on Sunday. "But the fact that it then became almost nine percent nationwide and over 14 percent in Hamburg did surprise me," she said in an interview with "nd".

This leads to an unexpected effect: Hamburg's Left Party is represented by two members in the new Bundestag - alongside the leading candidate Jan van Aken, Cansu Özdemir, the second-place candidate on the state list, will probably also be elected. And because no one expected such a result, Özdemir was also chosen as co-leading candidate in the state election alongside Sudmann in October.

"When we put together our Bundestag list during the Hamburg election campaign, we were at three percent nationwide in the polls," Sabine Ritter, state spokeswoman for the Left Party in the city state, told the "nd". "Cansu would be a huge asset to our Bundestag faction, and I am extremely pleased about this success," says Ritter, who has also been deputy federal chair of the Left Party since October. "But whether she goes or not is a decision that she must make first and as calmly as possible - i.e. after the Hamburg election - with her family."

Özdemir is already co-chair of the parliamentary group in the current legislative period and is Hamburg's most popular opposition politician in surveys. "She would of course leave a huge gap," Ritter regrets. At the same time, 24 "outstanding Hamburg leftists" are on the list for the state election. The state executive committee and those elected will discuss how the Left Party's parliamentary group will reposition itself after the vote on March 2. "Hamburg's Left Party is excellently positioned for this election, and the people of Hamburg can rely on us being a strong voice in the state parliament," Ritter assures.

At the Left Party's election party in the Hanseatic city on February 23rd in the far too small "Logo" club, the mood was euphoric. It was not foreseeable that the federal election would provide such a motivational boost for the final spurt in the "small" election campaign. "I was hoping that we would get around five percent and a few direct mandates," says Daniela Ahrens-Bötel, an active member from the Bergedorf district. "The fact that we did so well simply overwhelmed me and gave me additional motivation for our final spurt in the Hamburg election campaign," she tells "nd".

Felix Pospiech, a dock worker and active member of the Left Party in Wandsbek, also "never" expected such a good result in the federal election. "I wanted the Left Party to get in, that was the best I could hope for," he says. Christiane Schneider, who was already active for the PDS in Hamburg, says she "cannot remember ever having so much support and interest, especially from young people." She has also never experienced so many new activists. "I don't know all of the people who handed out flyers with me."

Things are generally going well for the Left in the city-state, which has had a parliamentary group in the state parliament since 2008. It is widely valued as a social conscience with good connections to local initiatives, unions and associations. Like representatives of other parties, its activists are valued as contacts in school policy, urban planning, the housing market, social policy and culture.

The red-green state government likes to try to leave the opposition in the dust. But Marco Hosemann, who is running for Die Linke on position 22 on the list, reports that his party in the state parliament is "repeatedly praised in discussions for its good work, even by people I didn't expect it from." As chairman of the Left Party faction in the Hamburg North district assembly, he has received positive reactions: "For example, a politician from the Greens who told me on the way to a committee that she would strategically vote for Die Linke this time because people like Heike Sudmann are needed in the state parliament."

However, Hamburg's First Mayor, Peter Tschentscher (SPD), said on Tuesday that he had to warn against a strengthening of "the political fringes." In the federal election, the AfD and the Left Party had won "at the expense of the center." This is also a threat in Hamburg. Tschentscher, who is leading the Hamburg Social Democrats into the election as the top candidate, appealed to the population not to vote for the AfD or the Left Party.

He added that the extreme right-wing party was being trivialised on the one hand and the left-wing party was being excluded: "In Hamburg, however, we have a left-wing party that does not want to govern at all, but rather says: we are relying on opposition." He warned against "unstable constellations". He would not be available for that.

"Given the nationwide success of the Left, I am not surprised by the panic reaction of the SPD and the Greens," says Heike Sudmann. "It would just be nice if Mr Tschentscher did not twist the facts out of fear. Because one thing is true: The Left is not refusing." From the opposition, she has made numerous suggestions and developed alternative concepts. "If there is a majority in the new parliament for a truly social policy that finally brings noticeable improvements in the daily lives of many Hamburg residents, then we can talk about it. But so far, there is no sign of that," says Sudmann.

The talk of "political fringes" is countered by the anti-fascist commitment of the Left. "We consistently oppose the AfD and its agitation, we educate people about fake news and work closely and very actively in various alliances," counters Daniela Ahrens-Bötel. "For us, anti-fascism is not just a topic that is being worked on, but a way of life." Heike Sudmann adds: "In the citizenry, there is a lot of lip service against the fascists, but in real politics the other parties adopt narratives that fuel exclusion and fear of 'the others'."

Incidentally, the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance, which was founded a year ago as a split from the Left Party, has no chance of entering the Hamburg state parliament according to recent polls.