Linke on foreign affairs and defence

The Left wants to keep the Zivilklausel (civil clause), which ties university research to civilian purposes. The Bundeswehr (German armed forces) should not be allowed to fund research at Saxon universities through third-party grants.

Universities should only do research for civilian purposes. That means no research for the military. The German armed forces should not be allowed to pay for research at Saxon universities. The Left wants to keep this rule.

The civil clause commits universities to research only for non-military purposes. The Left wants to keep this rule. The platform rules out money from the armed forces for research projects at universities in Saxony.

The Left opposes war, military buildup, arms exports and militarism and relies on diplomacy. In Saxony it wants no weapons development or production, no new Bundeswehr bases, and no military recruiting at schools and universities.

The Left is against war and military buildup. No new weapons should be built in Saxony. The army should get no new bases. It should not recruit in schools. Conflicts should be solved by talking.

The platform condemns Russia's war against Ukraine just as it condemns other wars that violate international law, such as the US war in Iraq or Turkish attacks in Kurdish areas. The party sees the cause of wars in an unjust world order. Movements for democracy and human rights are to be supported by peaceful means. Saxony should promote international cooperation, for example through more sister-city partnerships.

The Left condemns Russia's attack on Ukraine and demands the withdrawal of Russian troops, but wants the war ended through negotiations. It opposes rearmament and arms exports because, in its view, weapons kill people and destroy livelihoods.

The Left is against Russia's war in Ukraine. Russia should pull out its soldiers. The war should end through talks. The Left is against more weapons and against selling weapons abroad.

Besides the troop withdrawal, the platform demands punishment of all war criminals and acknowledges that some people stress Ukraine's right to self-defense above all. The Left says it rejects double standards and names the US war in Iraq and Turkish attacks on Kurds alongside Russia's war. It condemns the Hamas attack of October 7 as well as the conduct of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. In the party's view, democracy cannot be spread by force of arms; human rights movements should be supported by peaceful means.

The Left wants no public research money in Saxony for weapons development, far fewer military exercises and no Bundeswehr recruiting in schools. Instead, disaster protection, humanitarian aid and civilian international exchange are to be strengthened.

The Left wants no public money for research on weapons. There should be far fewer military exercises. The armed forces should not advertise in schools. Saxony should promote exchange with other countries.

The Left does not regard the planned stationing of Logistics Battalion 471 in Bernsdorf-Straßgräbchen as a lasting contribution to structural change in the Lusatia region. Bundeswehr youth officers would no longer be allowed to appear at public schools, and the armed forces would no longer get space at the "Tag der Sachsen" state festival. The state is to fund initiatives by municipalities and associations for mutual understanding and support the "Mayors for Peace" program. Exchange in science and culture is to grow, especially with central and eastern European countries, and town twinning is to be expanded.