Maybe it was my fault, but I was not able to convince the rest of the PDS executive that something big was happening in society. As the PDS is still very weak in the west of Germany, the organisation simply did not realise the extent of the growing opposition in- and outside the governing SPD. I became more and more of a nuisance to the leadership and finally was not re-elected to the executive. I still tried to influence the discussion inside the organisation, but I was not able to make them realise how explosive the situation in the workplaces and trade unions was growing.

When the initial set up of the WASG was discussed in January 2004, my decision was clear - I had to go with colleagues and friends from the union and labour movement, with whom I had been working closely together for the last 30 years.

The PDS has also lost a lot of support over its role in the couple of states where it is part of the government coalition.
That was another reason for me to turn my back. In Berlin, the PDS has openly taken part in breaking the Tarifvertrag (agreements over wages and conditions) for all public sector workers. This was an outrageous thing to do, particularly in a situation where the employees are under such heavy attack in their workplaces and the general rollback of social security and other rights. A socialist party that has taken part in those attacks can simply not be taken seriously anymore.

Also, the PDS has made clear that it will carry out the rotten attacks on the unemployed, known as Hartz IV laws which will come into force on January 1. A truly socialist party must refuse to do this and, if necessary, leave any government that attempts to force it to carry out such attacks.

The current majority in the WASG executive is against becoming a socialist party.
There is no question, it must become an openly socialist organisation. I was actually not sure if I should stand for election, because I am definitely on the far left of the executive. In the organisation as a whole, purely Kenysian ideas are definitely in the majority. Of course, such reforms are necessary, but they are not enough.

Especially after the failure of state socialism in east Germany, we have to ask how we can break the power of capital. And as long as I can openly discuss the need for a democratic socialist transformation of society, my place is in the WASG.