The former chairman of the Left Party, Katja Kipping, is to become the new Senator for Integration, Labor and Social Affairs in the upcoming red-green-red coalition in Berlin.

The left state chairwoman Katina Schubert announced on Wednesday.

She is pleased that she can propose Kipping for the office as "one of the most prominent social politicians in our party and in Germany".

The previous Social Senator Elke Breitenbach had surprisingly announced her withdrawal from office the day before.

Markus Wehner

Political correspondent in Berlin.

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The 43-year-old Kipping, who comes from Saxony, led the Left Party from 2012 to February together with co-chairman Bernd Riexinger.

She had already announced in August 2020 that she will no longer run for the office.

During her time as chairwoman, Kipping was the opponent of the popular left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht.

With her she had a long argument about the direction of the party, especially about the refugee policy, which further divided the left.

As a social politician, Kipping, who has been a member of the Bundestag since 2005, campaigned for the idea of ​​an unconditional basic income and also for a four-day week.

She also calls for the abolition of Hartz IV and an end to all associated sanctions.

The members decide on the coalition agreement

According to the Berlin coalition agreement, the left has three senatorial posts. In addition to the Senate for Europe and Culture, which will probably be headed again by the left-wing top candidate Klaus Lederer, the left will also receive the justice department, which was previously the responsibility of the Greens. Unlike the SPD and the Greens, who want to have the coalition agreement approved by party congresses, the members of the Berlin Left decide in a strike vote on its acceptance. After the special party conference on the weekend when the contract is discussed, the 8,000 members can vote until December 17th. I.

In one section of the party there is resistance to the coalition agreement, above all because the implementation of the referendum on the expropriation of private housing associations demanded by the left is not enshrined in it.

If the party members vote for the coalition, Kipping and the other senators will be officially nominated on December 20th.