View source for The Left (Luxembourg)

{{short description|Left-wing political party in Luxembourg}}
{{Infobox political party
| country          = Luxembourg
| name             = The Left
| native_name      = Déi Lénk
| native_name_lang = lb
| logo             = Logo Déi Lénk.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert
| logo_size        = 225
| colorcode        = {{Political party data|color}}
| leader           = ''Collective leadership''
| foundation       = 30 January 1999
| youth_wing       = [[Jonk Lénk]]
| headquarters     = 63, bvd de la Pétrusse, [[Luxembourg City]]
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
 |[[Democratic socialism]]
 |[[Republicanism]]
}}
| position         = [[Left-wing politics|Left-wing]]
| european         = [[Party of the European Left]]
| europarl         = [[The Left in the European Parliament]] (associate)
| colours          = {{colour box|{{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Red (politics)|Red]]
<!-- Values obtained from Wikidata; to edit, see https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1270494 -->| seats1_title     = [[Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg|Chamber of Deputies]]
| seats1           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats2_title     = [[European Parliament]]
| seats2           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP}}
| seats3_title     = Local councils
| seats3           = {{composition bar|5|722|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| website          = {{Political party data|website}}
}}
{{politics of Luxembourg}}
'''The Left''' ({{langx|lb|Déi Lénk}} {{IPA|lb|dɜɪ̯ ˈleŋk|}}; {{langx|fr|La Gauche}} {{IPA|fr|la ɡoʃ|}}; {{langx|de|Die Linke}} {{IPA|de|diː ˈlɪŋkə|}}) is a [[democratic socialist]]<ref>{{cite news |last= Abrahamian |first= Atossa |date= 15 September 2017 |title= How a tax haven is leading the race to privatise space |url= https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/sep/15/luxembourg-tax-haven-privatise-space |work= The Guardian |access-date= 15 February 2022 |quote= The next day, I went to meet Marc Baum, an MP from the democratic socialist party déi Lénk (the Left).}}</ref> [[List of political parties in Luxembourg|political party]] in [[Luxembourg]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Quotidien|first=Le|title=[Communales] Déi Lénk: " L'original plutôt que la copie "|url=https://lequotidien.lu/politique-societe/communales-dei-lenk-loriginal-plutot-que-la-copie/|access-date=2021-10-25|language=fr-FR}}</ref> On the [[political spectrum]], it is considered a [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]]{{Refn|<ref>{{cite book |author=Josep M. Colomer |author-link1=Josep Colomer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6S5JJkjpzf8C&pg=PA221 |title=Comparative European Politics |date=24 July 2008 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-203-94609-1 |pages=221– |access-date=13 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Manancourt |first=Vincent |date=15 February 2021 |title=Luxembourg MP breaks ranks to condemn tax scandal |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/luxembourg-sven-clement-condemns-openlux-tax-scandal/ |access-date=1 July 2023 |work=Politico}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lambert |first1=Yannick |last2=Oglesby |first2=Kate |date=16 December 2021 |title=Parliament approves tighter laws targeting unvaccinated |url=https://www.luxtimes.lu/en/luxembourg/parliament-set-to-pass-new-covid-law-targeting-vaccinations-61bb00d6de135b923602eacd |access-date=15 February 2022 |work=Luxembourg Times |quote=Three opposition parties – the right-wing Alternative Democratic Reform party, the left-wing déi Lénk and the Pirate party – all voted against Prime Minister Xavier Bettel’s proposals.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Luxembourg |url=https://europeelects.eu/luxembourg/ |access-date=15 February 2022 |website=[[Europe Elects]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Carette |first=Julien |date=6 October 2021 |title=The government "lacks courage" for déi Lénk |url=https://delano.lu/article/the-government-lacks-courage-f |access-date=15 February 2022 |work=Delano}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=18 June 2018 |title=DP loses one seat, ADR wins one |url=https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/1193968.html |access-date=26 July 2023 |work=RTL Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hegedus |first=Daniel |date=2017 |title=The State of Populism in Europe 2017 – Germany: Catching up, but still at the bottom of the European league |url=https://www.academia.edu/36420409 |access-date=26 July 2023 |website=Academia}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Buth |first1=Vanessa |author-link= |title=Brexit and Democracy: The Role of Parliaments in the UK and the European Union |last2=Högenauer |first2=Anna-Lena |last3=Kaniok |first3=Petr |date=2019 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-030-06043-5 |editor-last1=Christiansen |editor-first1=Thomas |location=Switzerland |page=123 |chapter=The Scrutiny of Brexit in National Parliaments: Germany, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic Compared |editor-last2=Fromage |editor-first2=Diane |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3jeNDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22left-wing+Dei+Lenk%22&pg=PA123}}</ref>}} to radical left{{Refn|<ref>{{cite web | url=https://lequotidien.lu/politique-societe/communales-dei-lenk-loriginal-plutot-que-la-copie/ | title=&#91;Communales&#93; Déi Lénk : " l'Original plutôt que la copie " }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Quotidien |first=Le |title=[Communales] Déi Lénk : " L'original plutôt que la copie " |url=https://lequotidien.lu/politique-societe/communales-dei-lenk-loriginal-plutot-que-la-copie/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Déi Lénk, seul contre tous |url=https://paperjam.lu/article/news-dei-lenk-seul-contre-tous-0 |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=paperjam.lu |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Déi Lénk, de l'émancipation à la visibilité |url=https://paperjam.lu/article/news-dei-lenk-de-lemancipation-a-la-visibilite |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=paperjam.lu |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=déi Lénk |url=https://dei-lenk.lu/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pr%C3%A9sentation-CoNa-groupes-de-travail-et-sections-FR.pdf |website=dei-lenk.lu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klein {{!}} |first=Von Raymond |date=2018-06-21 |title=Élections : Départ à gauche |url=https://www.woxx.lu/elections-depart-a-gauche/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=woxx |language=de-DE}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Klein {{!}} |first=Von Raymond |date=2019-08-05 |title=Carole Thoma (Déi Lénk): Was ist radikal, was realistisch? |url=https://www.woxx.lu/carole-thoma-dei-lenk-was-ist-radikal-was-realistisch/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=woxx |language=de-DE}}</ref>}} political party. The Left is associated with [[The Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL]] group in the [[European Parliament]] but does not have any members. The party participates in the [[Party of the European Left]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-08 |title=Discover our member parties, observers and partners |url=https://www.european-left.org/about-us/our-parties/ |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=www.european-left.org |language=en-US}}</ref> The Left wishes to transition Luxembourg from a [[constitutional monarchy]] into a [[republic]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Amini |first=Babak |title=The Radical Left in Europe in the Age of Austerity |publisher=Routledge |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-138-67356-4 |at=P. 78 in the subchapter "The radical left in Benelux" by Erik Meijer |language=english}}</ref>

The Left was founded by the [[New Left (Luxembourg)|New Left]] and the [[Communist Party of Luxembourg]] (KPL) as an electoral party. It had members from both parties and independents.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wagener|first1=Sascha|title=The Left in Luxemburg|journal=Daiber, Birgit/Hildebrandt, Cornelia, the Left in Europe. Political Parties AndParty Alliances Between Norway and Turkey|date=2009|pages=30–40|url=http://de.rosalux.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/the_left_in_europe_internet.pdf|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref> In the [[1999 Luxembourg general election]], the Left won 3.3% of the votes and one seat in the parliament; [[André Hoffmann (politician)|André Hoffmann]] was elected from the [[Circonscription Sud (Luxembourg)|southern constituency]]. In 2000, after anticipated elections in the city of [[Esch-sur-Alzette|Esch sur Alzette]], Hoffmann became [[deputy mayor]] and [[Aloyse Bisdorff]] (KPL) succeeded him in parliament. In accordance with the Left's statutes, Bisdorff resigned from parliament and was succeeded by [[Serge Urbany]] in 2002. A dispute arose between a number of members of the KPL and the majority of the Left; as a result, the two parties ran separate lists in the [[2004 Luxembourg general election]]. The Left won 1.9% of the votes and lost its parliamentary presence. In the [[2009 Luxembourg general election]], it increased its share of the vote to 3.3% and Hoffmann returned to parliament as the Left's sole representative; Hoffmann's personal vote of 9,067 in the south constituency was almost equal to the total number of votes gathered by the KPL, which won 10,803 votes.<ref>{{cite web|first=Éric|last=Netgen|title=Empire of the Census|url=http://le-jeudi.editpress.lu/Forum/1659.html|work=Le Jeudi|date=2009-06-11|access-date=2009-06-27|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615120348/http://le-jeudi.editpress.lu/Forum/1659.html|archive-date=2009-06-15}}</ref> In 2013, the party elected two members ([[Serge Urbany]] and [[Justin Turpel]]).

== Ideology ==
In 2022, member of parliament [[Nathalie Oberweis]] of déi Lénk made a statement concerning the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], that a peace solution to which [[Russia]] as well as [[Ukraine]] could agree should be found as fast as possible, and that this could best be achieved by Ukraine renouncing [[Ukraine–NATO relations|their accession to NATO]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-14 |title=Ukrain: Fir Déi Lénk ass e Friddensaccord den eenzegen Auswee |url=https://www.100komma7.lu/article/aktualiteit/2022-06-14-ivd-nathalie-oberweis?pd=article |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=100komma7.lu |language=lb}}</ref>

In their 2023 electoral programme (Point 17.4), déi Lénk advocated for the dissolution of [[NATO]] or at least the exit of Luxembourg from the organisation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Programme |url=https://2023.dei-lenk.lu/fr/programm/programme-fr/ |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=dei Lénk 2023 Walen |language=fr-FR}}</ref>

== Election results ==
=== Chamber of Deputies ===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: right;"
|-
! Election
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Government
|-
! [[1999 Luxembourg general election|1999]]
| 110,274
| 3.3 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|1|60|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| New
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2004 Luxembourg general election|2004]]
| 62,071
| 1.9 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|0|60|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{eliminated|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2009 Luxembourg general election|2009]]
| 109,184
| 3.3 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|1|60|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2013 Luxembourg general election|2013]]
| 161,759
| 4.5 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|2|60|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2018 Luxembourg general election|2018]]
| 193,594
| 5.5 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|2|60|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2023 Luxembourg general election|2023]]
| 147,839
| 3.9 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|2|60|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Constituency || 2013<br />votes || % || 2009<br />votes || % || 2004<br />votes || % || 1999<br />votes || %
|-
| [[Circonscription Centre (Luxembourg)|Centre]] || 51,851 || 5.75 || 35,411 || 3.50 || 20,451 || 1.99 || 27,999 || 2.82
|-
| [[Circonscription Est (Luxembourg)|East]] || 5,941 || 3.05 || 3,911 || 2.25 || 2,179 || 1.31 || 2,448 || 1.63
|-
| [[Circonscription Nord (Luxembourg)|North]] || 8,138 || 2.56 || 5,785 || 2.00 || 3,725 || 1.34 || 3,653 || 1.41
|-
| [[Circonscription Sud (Luxembourg)|South]] || 95,829 || 5.73 || 64,077 || 4.13 || 36,868 || 2.28 || 76,174 || 4.98
|}

=== European Parliament ===
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;"
|-
! Election
! List leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! EP Group
|-
! [[1999 European Parliament election in Luxembourg|1999]]
| Aloyse Bisdorff
| 28,130 
| 2.77 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|0|6|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| New
| rowspan=6 | –
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in Luxembourg|2004]]
| rowspan=3 | [[André Hoffmann (politician)|André Hoffmann]]
| 18,345
| 1.68 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|0|6|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Luxembourg|2009]]
| 37,929
| 3.37 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|0|6|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Luxembourg|2014]]
| 67,513
| 5.76 (#6)
| {{Composition bar|0|6|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2019 European Parliament election in Luxembourg|2019]]
| [[David Wagner (politician)|David Wagner]]
| 60,648
| 4.83 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|0|6|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2024 European Parliament election in Luxembourg|2024]]
| Ana Correia da Veiga
| 43,701
| 3.15 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|0|6|hex={{party color|The Left (Luxembourg)}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* Wehenkel, Henri, Communisme et postcommunisme au Luxembourg, in: Communisme 2014, 1989–2014 – L'éternel retour des communistes, p.&nbsp;165–172
* Wehenkel, Henri/Redondo, Jean-Laurent/Hoffmann, André/Urbany, Serge, Table ronde: PCL et/ou nouvelle gauche: renouvellement et/ou scission, in: Cahiers Marxistes, No. 201, April–May 1996, p.&nbsp;121–144

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://dei-lenk.lu}}
* [http://goosch.lu Official newspaper]
* {{cite web|last1=Gouvernement du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg|title=Élections légslatives|url=https://elections.public.lu/fr/elections-legislatives.html}}
* {{cite web|last1=Gouvernement du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg|title=Élections europénnes|url=https://elections.public.lu/fr/elections-europeennes.html}}

{{Party of the European Left}}
{{Luxembourgian political parties}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Left, The}}
[[Category:1999 establishments in Luxembourg]]
[[Category:Democratic socialist parties in Europe]]
[[Category:Party of the European Left member parties]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1999]]
[[Category:Political parties in Luxembourg]]
[[Category:Socialist parties in Luxembourg]]