With the electoral result of 3 from 25 seats in students’ parliament, we were the third strongest list, behind the coalition of Greens / Cooperative Witzenhausen and social-democrats (Jusos), a solid starting point for the coalition negotiations. We thank you for the continuing stable confidence of our electorate! We were able to keep our vote despite – or perhaps because of – an open radical left election campaign. Our success shows us that there is an irrefutable need for an emancipatory voice in university politics within the student body!
Due to the resounding success of the university group Greens / Cooperative Witzenhausen, a coalition could realistically only succeed in cooperation with this group. We presented ourselves constructively, diplomatically and also with a clear attitude in the coalition talks. Our substantive positions during the negotiations were primarily based on a movement and labor dispute oriented social policy, a political position of the General Students’ Committee (AStA), as well as a radical reform of the AStA’s education work, bundled within a new antifa unit. Especially in the last two points, we quickly encountered incomprehension, rejection and criticism during coalition negotiations.
Finally, in the last session of the students’s parliament, an AStA was formed with the participation of the coalition of the Green University Group / Cooperative Witzenhausen and the socialist democratic students’s bound (SDS). Together with the social-democrats we lined up opposing candidates. In places, the lack of information on the part of the future AStA speakers was negative in some cases! Particularly noteworthy here is the complete refusal of a content presentation of the SDS candidate for the important field of university policy. Providing information and accountability to parliament, as well as transparency, a democratic principle that is consistently recounted by both SDS and Greens as a leading figure in their political positions, were completely disregarded.
The relationship between the future AStA and the liberal university group is equally intransparent. Although there were no public statements on the possible involvement of the liberals in the new AStA, the future AStA alliance with the liberal university group set common lists for parliamentary committee elections. The liberals also voted in favor of the new AStA and the opposition candidates of social-demokrats (Jusos) and the us, the independent left list (LiLi).
The cooperation of the future AStA with the liberal university group was evident in the parliament. As if to emphasize this obviousness, one of the members of the liberals gave a signal not to answer a critical question to a representative of the SDS during his performance. Despite the contrary assurances, it can not be denied that a consideration must have been agreed with the liberal university group for its support of the new AStA. We condemn that there was no clear answer to our questions, and we therefore wonder how the SDS now wants to remain true to its socialist position in a largely non-left-wing AStA, apparently under the participation of the liberal university group.
We will critically support the work of the new AStA in the coming legislative period. We will also engage constructively in university politics and, above all else, seek to work towards educational and social progress through efforts in parliament. As part of our AStA coalition and opposition talks, we have been able to strengthen our relations with both Greens / Coop. Witzenhausen and social-democrats (Jusos). We are confident that we will be able to start our own projects in the future due to the willingness to cooperate constructively within both other large groups in parliament.
